1 week Ago By Korea Bizwire
At the opening of CES 2025, the world’s largest consumer electronics and IT exhibition, held on January 7 in Las Vegas, Nevada, the humanoid robot Unitree G1 was spotted shaking hands with attendees. (Image courtesy of Yonhap) SEOUL, April 11 (Korea Bizwire) — As global tech giants intensify efforts to dominate the humanoid robotics race, South Korea has launched a national consortium of over 40 universities, research institutions, and companies with the goal of becoming a global leader in humanoid technology by 2030. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) announced the official launch of the K-Humanoid Alliance on Thursday at a ceremony in Seoul.
The initiative brings together a coalition of academic powerhouses—including Seoul National University, KAIST, POSTECH, Yonsei, and Korea University—alongside leading robotics firms such as Rainbow Robotics, Doosan Robotics, LG Electronics, HD Hyundai Robotics, and component manufacturers like Neuromeka and Angel Robotics. Humanoids, AI-powered robots that mimic human behavior and cognition, are emerging as the next frontier in artificial intelligence, following the widespread adoption of generative AI. Companies like Tesla, Amazon, Microsoft, and NVIDIA are investing billions to commercialize this next-generation “physical AI.
” Despite South Korea’s strong performance in international robotics competitions, the country lags behind the U.S. and China in terms of investment and workforce.
The K-Humanoid Alliance is intended to close this gap by consolidating national expertise and resources. The alliance will initially focus on developing a robot AI foundation model by 2028—a large-scale AI system designed to serve as the “brain” for future humanoids. This effort will be led by Seoul National University’s AI Research Institute in collaboration with top-tier academic teams and robotics companies providing real-world feedback, behavior data, and integration support.
In parallel, significant investments will be made in next-generation humanoid hardware. By 2028, the goal is to produce robots weighing under 60kg, capable of high mobility (over 2.5 meters/second), carrying payloads of 20kg or more, and operating with 50 or more degrees of freedom.
Development will also include advanced components such as tactile sensors, torque sensors, and lightweight, flexible actuators. The government will prioritize funding for joint R&D projects involving two or more alliance members and is pushing for an increase to the current ₩200 billion ($150 million) robotics budget. Key areas of focus include AI semiconductors and high-performance batteries specifically designed for humanoids.
Domestic chipmakers like Rebellions and DeepX are collaborating with battery giants SK On, LG Energy Solution, and Samsung SDI to develop energy-efficient on-device AI chips and high-density, long-life power cells. “This is more than a robotics initiative—it’s a national investment in the future of AI, semiconductors, batteries, and advanced manufacturing,” said MOTIE Minister Ahn Duk-geun. “The global humanoid market is expected to grow 25-fold by 2035, and this alliance positions Korea at the center of that transformation.
” The K-Humanoid Alliance also aims to nurture high-potential startups and talent, and to bridge collaboration between humanoid developers and industry end-users. Looking ahead to 2026 and beyond, the government plans to expand support across the broader AI ecosystem. Kevin Lee ( kevinlee@koreabizwire.
com ).
