The token race begins

The term 'AI token' — the unit of usage in large language model (LLM) services — has emerged as a point of competition among the three, reflecting how token economics is becoming a central measure of AI business scale. The contest signals that the AX era, in which companies restructure their businesses around AI, is producing a new "food war" over who captures the associated revenue streams.

Stakes in the AX era

The competition comes as AI adoption accelerates across Korea's technology and telecommunications landscape, with companies vying for position in a market where token-based services are expected to become a core offering. Details on each participant's specific strategy and timeline remain limited in the available record, and the relative standing of the three has yet to be settled.

While the framing of the race as a three-way contest is broadly accurate, several elements — including the precise scope of each player's token business and the ultimate market impact — remain unconfirmed. The claim that a token competition among Jung Jae-heon, Park Yoon-young and Hong Beom-sik has started holds up in its essentials, but the picture of what the AX-era "food war" will deliver is still incomplete.

Verdict: Mostly True