SK Telecom identified as firm behind Anthropic export controls

Trump Administration Blocks Foreign Access to Anthropic AI Models After South Korean Telecom Concerns

The Trump administration’s sweeping decision to bar foreign nationals from accessing Anthropic’s most advanced artificial intelligence models was triggered by the discovery of a South Korean telecommunications company with suspected ties to China on the firm’s access list, according to The Washington Post. The move has sent shockwaves through South Korea’s telecom and AI sectors, with the country’s three major carriers launching internal reviews and denying any links to Beijing.washingtonpost

Export Controls Shut Down Anthropic’s Flagship Models

On June 12, the Commerce Department issued an export control order directing Anthropic to suspend access to its Claude Fable 5 and Claude Mythos 5 models for all foreign nationals, including those residing in the United States. Anthropic, unable to enforce nationality-based restrictions while maintaining user privacy, chose to disable the models entirely.reuters

“The net effect of this order is that we must abruptly disable Fable 5 and Mythos 5 for all our customers to ensure compliance,” the company said in a statement. Access to Anthropic’s other AI models remains unaffected.americanbazaaronline

The models had launched just three days earlier on June 9. Mythos 5 is Anthropic’s security-focused model designed to identify software vulnerabilities, while Fable 5 is a safety-tuned version built for broader public use. Concerns also emerged that Amazon researchers had discovered ways to bypass Fable 5’s safety measures, gaining access to Mythos-level cyber capabilities.chosun

South Korean Telecom Industry Under Scrutiny

The Washington Post reported on June 15 that White House officials identified a “South Korean telecommunications company suspected of ties to China” among organizations Anthropic had granted Mythos access. Wired subsequently reported that the company in question was SK Telecom, which had joined Anthropic’s security consortium Project Glasswing earlier in June alongside Samsung Electronics and SK hynix.chosun

SK Telecom denied the allegations. “It is absolutely untrue that there is any linkage with China,” the company said, noting that it does not use Huawei telecommunications equipment in its core networks. KT confirmed it had no access to Mythos, while LG Uplus stated it had never applied for access.khan

Negotiations Continue as Fallout Spreads

Anthropic said on June 16 that it is in talks with the Trump administration and that “both sides are working to resolve this issue quickly”. Bloomberg reported that Commerce Secretary Howard Rutnick indicated in a letter to Anthropic that government permission would be required before granting access to advanced AI models to foreign nationals.bloomberg

The restrictions have disrupted South Korea’s participation in Project Glasswing, which involves 150 institutions across 15 countries. As the Chosun Ilbo editorialized on June 17, the episode tests South Korea’s status as a trusted technology partner of the United States.news1