ChatGPT Pro for $20/Month? Only Koreans Get This Deal

I was genuinely shocked twice last night. While reading about the Codex-5.3-Spark launch, I discovered that something even bigger had dropped on KakaoTalk just hours earlier: ChatGPT Pro subscriptions for 29,000 KRW, roughly $20.

The regular price is $220 per month including tax, making this over a 90% discount. For a Lunar New Year gift, this is absolutely unprecedented.

Codex-5.3-Spark: 1,000 Tokens Per Second

This version dropped unexpectedly in the early hours today. It marks the first real-world result of the previously announced OpenAI-Cerebras partnership.

Codex-5.3-Spark runs on Cerebras’ SRAM-based chips, pumping out 1,000 tokens per second. Back-of-the-envelope calculations suggest a Mixture-of-Experts architecture with approximately 700B total parameters and 30B activation parameters.

While lighter than the original Codex-5.3, the sheer speed improvement makes it feel like a performance upgrade. Once you experience this speed, going back to standard models feels painful.

• Cerebras chip-powered 1,000 tokens/sec output speed
• Noticeably higher activation efficiency compared to GLM or Qwen
• Currently exclusive to the Pro plan
• Double credits through end of April

Pro Is Not Just a Developer Plan

The Codex App itself is built to be accessible to non-developers. A Windows app is also expected to launch soon.

Even on the CLI side, general-purpose task accuracy has improved noticeably beyond just debugging. After using it for over two weeks, the potential as a general-purpose tool is clear.

• Codex App is approachable with zero coding experience
• CLI accuracy has improved for general tasks beyond debugging
• Windows app launch is imminent
• Missing Hook and Subagent support compared to Claude Code, but updates expected in February

29,000 KRW Is Cheaper Than Even the Plus Plan

The Plus plan costs 29,000 KRW through mobile app store billing. Subscribing directly on the web costs even more with additional tax. Yet on KakaoTalk Gift, the Pro plan is 29,000 KRW.

You can currently buy up to 5 per person, though each has a 93-day expiration. This means you can’t chain them for 5 consecutive months, but you can still cover 3–4 months at 29,000 KRW each.

• ~87% discount from the regular $220 price
• 93-day validity requires strategic timing
• Korea-exclusive KakaoTalk promotion

Now Is the Perfect Time to Master the Agent Era

Since the Codex-5.3 launch, the developer community, including prominent voices in Silicon Valley, has been singing its praises.

Codex already supports Skill-based structures originally introduced by Claude Code, and experimental Subagent implementations are within reach. The doubled credit period through late April makes this the ideal practice window.

• Double credits available through end of April
• Skill-based agent design practice is now possible
• Lunar New Year holiday is the perfect time to build agent workflows

Key Takeaway

OpenAI and Kakao have delivered an extraordinary gift to Korean users. A 29,000 KRW monthly subscription is the cheapest ticket to mastering agent workflows in 2026. Don’t wait. Start now.