Korea plans 1,700 public AI robots across 8 ministries in 2027; Hyundai warns on China

A Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources director told a National Assembly forum on Oct 21 that eight ministries will run a large AI robot public deployment programme from next year, placing about 1,700 robots in public settings in 2027 and 15,000 cumulatively by 2030, Robot Newspaper (irobotnews) reported; MEKAWIRE found no ministry release on the remarks.

According to the report, the forum was organised by the Korea AI Robot Industry Association (KAIRA), and Hyundai Motor executive Song Ho-deuk warned that Chinese makers such as AgiBot, Unitree, UBTech and Leju, which opened Korean offices or distributors this year, will take share in Korea faster than they did in robot vacuums or electric cars; he said Hyundai's planned Saemangeum robot plant could later make robots for companies without their own factories.

A KEIT programme director said the AI robot M.AX alliance has grown from 47 companies at its April 2025 launch to 262, and that a data factory built this year will be extended by industry and region next year.

MEKAWIRE context: the figures match the national plan adopted on Sep 30, which targets 200,000 AI robots by 2030, about 15,000 of them bought by the public sector and more than 1,700 in 2027.