KT (030200.KS) is expanding its retail artificial intelligence transformation business built on AI and cloud technology, teaming up with Nonghyup Agribusiness Group and Microsoft Korea. The partnership is expected to enable personalized product recommendations drawn from customer data, along with support for inquiries, orders and delivery.
KT said it signed a business agreement with Nonghyup Agribusiness Group and Microsoft Korea on the 18th at KT's Gwanghwamun Building West in Seoul's Jongno district.
The three companies plan to jointly identify new AI transformation projects in the retail and e-commerce sectors, upgrade AI-based customer service and data-driven marketing, and build internal AI capabilities centered on frontline operations.
Under the plan, Nonghyup Agribusiness Group will build a system of personalized recommendations and marketing across its retail and food businesses, drawing on customer, product and order data. The companies will also introduce an "agentic AI" service in which AI independently understands and handles customer inquiries, order confirmations and delivery updates.
KT will oversee the project as a whole, including identifying and designing AI transformation tasks and building and operating an AI Contact Center (AICC). Nonghyup Agribusiness Group will provide operational data and a testing environment, while Microsoft Korea will support the AI and cloud technology, including Azure, and the implementation of the services.
The partnership grew out of KT's migration of NH Singsing Mall (Nonghyup Mall), an online marketplace specializing in agricultural products, to the public cloud. KT moved the existing on-premises systems, infrastructure, network and security environment to Microsoft Azure. The renewed NH Singsing Mall launched its service in July. The aim is to build on that cloud migration and broaden the partnership toward transforming the customer experience using AI.
"NH Singsing Mall's successful migration to the public cloud is the starting point for AI-based retail innovation," said Park Sang-won, executive vice president and head of KT's AX Business Division. "Together with Nonghyup Agribusiness Group and Microsoft Korea, we will develop a new AI transformation business model for the retail sector."
