Insider Brief

• South Korea plans to distribute about 1,700 AI robots to public-sector organizations in 2027, using government agencies as early customers and real-world test sites.
• The robots are expected to be used in research, security, policing and agriculture, with operating data shared with manufacturers to help improve their systems.
• The government is also preparing deployment guidelines and is using events in Seoul and at RoboWorld 2026 to connect public agencies with domestic robotics companies.

South Korea plans to distribute about 1,700 AI robots to public-sector organizations in 2027 as part of an effort to create early demand for domestic robotics technology and gather operating data from real-world deployments.

According to South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, it is holding a two-day event in Seoul on Oct. 28 and 29 to connect public agencies with companies developing four-wheeled and four-legged robots. Nine government ministries and agencies and 11 South Korean robotics companies are taking part.

MOTIE said the government wants public agencies to be early customers for robotics companies, giving the technology more opportunities to operate outside laboratories and controlled demonstrations. Government agencies will use robots in areas including research, security, policing and agriculture. Data collected during those deployments is expected to be shared with robot companies to help improve their systems.

According to MOTIE, the event includes product demonstrations, examples of private-sector applications and one-on-one meetings between public agencies and robotics companies. The ministry said the discussions are intended to help agencies define performance and operating requirements before the first public deployments.

Government organizations attending include the Ministry of National Defense, Army Headquarters, National Fire Agency, National Police Agency, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and Korea Industrial Complex Corp. Participating robotics companies include Rainbow Robotics, Robotis, Hyundai Motor and Newbility.

MOTIE is also preparing guidelines for the program covering areas including connections with component suppliers, collection and use of operating data and equipment repairs. The ministry said it plans to complete those guidelines by the end of 2026.

MOTIE also plans to showcase four-wheeled and four-legged robots alongside humanoids and care robots at RoboWorld 2026, scheduled for Nov. 4-7 at KINTEX in Goyang.