Second Launch Show, Asia-Pacific Chief Visits Korea
Maintaining No. 1 Market Share in Korea, Over 60% in Premium Segment
Brand Image Hit by Domestic Consumer Security Concerns
Chinese robot vacuum cleaner company Roborock is expanding its presence in the Korean market by launching its 2025 model new products as scheduled despite concerns over information security.
On the 20th, Roborock held the ‘2025 Roborock Launch Show’ at the Grand Ballroom of the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas Hotel in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, unveiling the new products ‘S9 MaxV Ultra’ and ‘S9 MaxV Slim.’ Key executives, including Dan Cham, Head of Asia-Pacific Marketing, and Nicole Han, Head of Global Product Marketing, attended the launch show to present this year’s new product lineup and domestic market strategy.
This is the second time Roborock has held a new product launch show in Korea, following last year. In April last year, the company unveiled its flagship model ‘Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra,’ and Dan Cham visited Korea again this year after his visit last year. Since Roborock maintains the number one market share in the domestic robot vacuum cleaner market, this move is interpreted as a further strengthening of its offensive in the Korean market.
The launch event took place amid concerns about Chinese companies, including Roborock, collecting personal information. Among Korean consumers, worries about the sharing and distribution of personal information by Chinese companies have increased since the issue of DeepSeek’s wholesale collection and third-party transmission of personal data surfaced. In particular, Roborock’s privacy policy explicitly states that customer information may be shared with affiliates or other service providers, which has heightened anxiety. Last year, security issues were further highlighted when a home robot vacuum cleaner from another Chinese company, Ecovacs, was hacked. In response, domestic companies emphasizing security (such as Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics) are chasing Chinese companies with market shares in the 30% range.
Roborock held the '2025 Roborock Launch Show' on the morning of the 20th at the Grand Ballroom of the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas Hotel in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, unveiling the new products 'S9 MaxV Ultra' and 'S9 MaxV Slim.' Dan Cham, Head of Marketing for Asia-Pacific, is giving a presentation. Photo by Park Joon-yi
Roborock recorded a 25% market share in the Korean robot vacuum cleaner market in 2022, two years after entering Korea, securing the number one position. Its market share increased to 46.5% in the first half of last year. Especially, the premium line priced above 1.5 million KRW is estimated to hold a 65.7% share. Korean sales surged from 48 billion KRW in 2021 to 100 billion KRW in 2022, and 200 billion KRW in 2023. According to global market research firms, Korea’s share of the company’s total sales (806 billion KRW in the first half of last year) reached 18%, amounting to 142 billion KRW.
Roborock CEO Kwon Kang said, "Thanks to the interest and support from consumers, we have steadily established ourselves as a leading brand in the market," adding, "Going forward, Roborock will continue to make consumers’ lives more convenient with world-class technology and excellent quality, and pursue continuous growth and development."
At the event, Nicole Han seemed conscious of Roborock’s security issues, stating, "We prioritize personal information protection and security," and added, "Both products unveiled today have received TUV certification and earned the highest diamond rating in IoT security evaluation from UL Solutions, a global certification body." TUV certification is a safety, quality, and security certification issued by the German Technical Inspection Association (TUV). This means the product’s security meets global standards. Roborock Korea Marketing Manager Jang Yoo-jung explained, "All Roborock robot vacuum cleaners strictly protect customer personal information," adding, "The camera security is enhanced with dual hardware and app locks, all data is encrypted, unnecessary information is not transmitted externally, and data is stored encrypted within the device and automatically deleted."
The two new products unveiled on the day feature improved cleaning functions, navigation systems, and main unit and dock (parking) functions compared to previous models. With a thickness of 7.98 cm, they are the slimmest Roborock products ever, and for the first time, Roborock has equipped them with the ‘RetractSense Navigation System,’ which automatically adjusts sensor height to easily pass through narrow spaces.
The S9 MaxV Ultra will be officially sold starting on the 21st, and the S9 MaxV Slim from the 23rd. Until February 28, they can be purchased at a 14% average discount off the regular price, with the standard models priced at 1.59 million KRW and 1.44 million KRW, respectively.
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