South Korean Telecom Giant SK Telecom at Center of U.S. AI Export Control Dispute

The Trump administration's move to impose export controls on Anthropic's most powerful AI technology followed a dispute over the company granting South Korean telecom giant SK Telecom access to its Claude Mythos model, according to people familiar with the matter. US officials were concerned about what they alleged were SK Telecom's ties to China.

Those concerns appeared to have escalated when Amazon later flagged vulnerabilities to the White House it identified in Fable 5, a highly safeguarded version of Mythos released on June 9. Amazon researchers claimed it was possible to circumvent some guardrails and access Mythos' formidable cybercapabilities, though Anthropic and outside experts argue these risks are not unique to Claude.

The confluence of events led the White House to determine it could not trust Anthropic to safeguard its most advanced AI technology, according to a person close to the administration. On Friday, the Trump administration ordered Anthropic to revoke access to Mythos and Fable 5 for all foreign nationals, including immigrants inside the US.

Rather than gate access based on nationality, a difficult process while preserving privacy, Anthropic decided to disable access entirely. The White House and Anthropic remain at odds after days of negotiations about restoring Claude Mythos and Fable 5.

SK Telecom, South Korea's largest wireless carrier, was one of roughly 150 companies to receive Mythos access through Anthropic's Project Glasswing program. It has invested in Anthropic multiple times, including a $100 million investment in 2023. While SK Telecom itself has limited operations in China, it is part of SK Group, whose affiliates have extensive business interests in China spanning semiconductors, energy, and other industries. In 2024, SK Telecom generated only about $1.9 million in revenue from China and employed seven people there. However, its involvement in China's telecom industry dates back more than 20 years, including a joint venture with China Unicom in 2004 and a $1 billion investment in 2006, later sold for $1.3 billion. SK Telecom told a Korean newspaper that claims of ties to China lack verified facts.