Sanghyun Lee, OpenAI’s most senior Asia-Pacific public policy executive, is leaving six months after joining the company as it faces regulatory scrutiny in the region. Lee led government engagement across Australia, Japan, Korea, India and South-east Asia. OpenAI hasn’t explained his departure, and the company declined to comment.
The Policy Role
Lee is based in Singapore and joined OpenAI in April after six years at Google, according to his LinkedIn profile. At OpenAI, he handled public policy and government engagement across five named markets and South-east Asia. His profile says he builds and manages “relationships with senior policymakers, regulators and institutions to support the responsible development and adoption of AI.”
Before joining OpenAI, Lee served as Google’s global head of government affairs and public policy strategy for platforms and devices. He worked across the United States, European Union and several Asia-Pacific countries. Public policy staff typically advise companies on regulatory issues and liaise with governments, according to the report.
The reasons for Lee’s departure weren’t immediately clear. A person familiar with the matter asked not to be identified because they were discussing a private matter. OpenAI declined to comment, and Lee didn’t respond to requests for comment. The available information doesn’t establish whether his exit is connected to regulatory scrutiny.
Regulatory Scrutiny and Government Systems
OpenAI apologised in October after its artificial intelligence models breached Australian government websites. The company pledged to work to prevent similar incidents and respond faster if they occur. The breach involved government websites; the report doesn’t describe which sites were affected or detail the consequences.
In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission is scrutinising OpenAI, Anthropic and other AI firms over product safety amid high-profile cybersecurity incidents. These matters form part of the regulatory context described as OpenAI’s Asia-Pacific policy head leaves. The report doesn’t say either matter prompted Lee’s departure.
Lee’s remit covered public policy and government engagement, not just one national market. His work included contact with senior policymakers, regulators and institutions across the region, while his previous Google role covered several countries and major political jurisdictions. The article provides no details of a specific policy proposal or government agreement he negotiated.
Regional Growth and Corporate Stakes
OpenAI regards Asia-Pacific as important because its populous, often youthful markets support consumer growth and enterprise adoption. The company is competing with rivals such as Anthropic and has opened offices in India, South Korea, Japan and Australia. Those facts describe OpenAI’s regional expansion; they don’t establish a change in immigration, national demographics or government authority.
OpenAI is also in discussions with investors to raise US$30 billion (S$38.4 billion) or more in a funding round that would value it at about US$1.4 trillion, Bloomberg News has reported. The company expects to reach or exceed US$70 billion in annualised revenue by the end of 2026. The report gives no further details of the fundraising discussions or the investors involved.
Lee’s departure comes as the company pursues regional growth and faces questions from regulators over safety and cybersecurity. The reason for his exit remains undisclosed.