"U.S. Investment Is 1 Trillion Won, Ten Times Ours... Reminiscent of Early Semiconductor Industry" [Inside China's Humanoid Ecosystem] ⑧

What Kind of Support Does Korea's Robot Industry Need?
Interviews with Industry and Academic Experts
"U.S. Investment Is Ten Times Larger, Support Is Lacking"
Expanding Data Infrastructure and Building Collaboration Systems

Editor's NoteAt school sports events in Shenzhen, China, it is not unusual to see parents bringing robots. In China, robots have become deeply integrated into daily life, to the point where a Robot Olympics is held. This landscape is supported by an ecosystem that allows for easy robot manufacturing. In Shenzhen's Huaqiangbei, it is possible to procure all the parts needed to build a robot in just one day. Robots made this way are then deployed back into factories, creating a virtuous cycle that boosts productivity. In contrast, in Korea, robots remain in laboratories and as prototypes, with the industry struggling to even reach the starting line of industrialization. Asia Economy explores the structure and speed of the humanoid robot ecosystem on the ground in Shenzhen, China. As the world is already competing for commercialization, we identify the challenges Korea has missed and urgently seek solutions for how to rebuild its industrial strategy to avoid falling behind.

"It reminds me of the very early days of Korea's semiconductor industry."

Professor Park Jaeheung of the Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology at Seoul National University, who is also the head of Blue Robin, used this analogy to describe the current state of Korea's humanoid robot industry. In the early 1970s, Korea's semiconductor industry lacked both technology and capital, remaining at the research stage. However, in the 1980s, the government pushed it as a strategic industry and major conglomerates made bold, large-scale investments, propelling Korea to become a key player in the global market.

Currently, Korea's humanoid robot industry faces similarly harsh conditions as the early days of semiconductors. Government support is limited, and the scale of investment is minuscule compared to overseas. The most common demands from the field are for increased government funding, the establishment of systems to secure data, and stronger cooperation between manufacturers and component suppliers.

Park Chanhoon, Head of the Autonomous Growth AI Humanoid Strategic Research Group and Director of the AI Robotics Research Institute at the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials, is giving an interview to Asia Economy on the 1st of last month at the institute's headquarters located in Yuseong-dong, Daejeon. Provided by Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials.

In particular, the humanoid industry cannot grow through the technological development of individual companies alone. There is a strong demand for a virtuous cycle that connects research and development, certification, mass production, and demand. Ryu Jaewan, CEO of SBV Tech and Chairman of the Robot Components Council under the Korea Robot Industry Association, said, "Even if we develop robot components domestically, if we cannot obtain international certification, it is difficult to supply them to global finished product companies," adding, "Since certification procedures require enormous costs and time, the government must step in to provide joint support."

He also explained, "Collaboration with finished product companies from the design stage is essential for research results to be immediately applied to mass production. If a component company develops alone, the product often cannot be used in actual manufacturing." Therefore, he pointed out the need for institutional support for a joint development system between finished product companies and component companies from the early stages.

Ryu Jaewan, CEO of SBV Tech, is being interviewed by Asia Economy at the SBV Tech headquarters located in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province on the 12th of last month. Provided by SBV Tech.

Alongside this, building standardized models is cited as a core task. Ryu emphasized, "If companies producing gear reducers, sensors, and motors all release products with different specifications, manufacturers cannot establish a stable supply chain. If component companies unite to create standardized models, economies of scale can be achieved and manufacturers will gain trust in the domestic ecosystem."

Even with such institutional measures in place, there is a continued concern that overcoming the funding gap is essential for survival in global competition. Professor Park Jaeheung said, "Even with Series A funding in Korea, companies typically raise only 10 billion to 20 billion won, while in the United States, it is about 200 billion won-at least a tenfold difference. Investors often ask, 'How can you compete with Tesla with this amount of money?' The funding gap is so large that it is extremely difficult for companies to survive."

Professor Jaeheung Park, head of Blue Robin and professor at the Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology at Seoul National University, is being interviewed by Asia Economy at the Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology at Seoul National University on the 11th of last month. Photo by Junyi Park.

The industry stresses that now is the time for decisive action by both the government and companies. On the ground, the common demands are for increased funding, data acquisition, and stronger cooperation between manufacturers and component suppliers. The most frequently voiced request in the robot industry is for the government to significantly increase its support. Park Chanhoon, Head of the Autonomous Growth AI Humanoid Strategic Research Group at the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials, said, "Even if government support seems large at the 10 billion won level, it is a drop in the bucket compared to what is being invested overseas. In the United States and China, humanoid robots are seen as a future industry, and they are pouring in money at an incredible rate."

Regarding support strategies, industry voices argue that rather than spreading funds thinly, the focus should be on selection and concentration to achieve visible results. The logic is that concrete examples of success must come first to build market trust and attract follow-up investment.

Ryu said, "In Korea, a nurturing approach like the 'Taereung Training Center' is important-that is, selecting companies in each field for focused investment and prioritizing performance. If a successful model emerges quickly, more companies will see the potential and invest, and the market itself can grow."

For the future of humanoid robots, autonomous learning capabilities and the establishment of a supporting data infrastructure are cited as key challenges. Park Chanhoon emphasized the concept of self-growing humanoids, stating, "Even if a humanoid is trained to operate a washing machine, to perform a different task, the supplier must create a new artificial intelligence (AI) model for each customer. This approach is excessively costly and reduces usability." The autonomous growth humanoid he proposes is a technology that enables robots to collect and refine data on their own, automate learning procedures, and adapt to new missions.

Park Hyunjun, CTO (Chief Technology Officer) of Robross, is giving an interview to Asia Economy at the Robross headquarters in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, on the 7th of last month. Photo by Kang Jinhyung.

There is also the argument that large-scale data utilization and the establishment of supporting infrastructure are essential for implementing such technology. Without their own robot foundation models and data centers, Korea could become dependent on the platforms of other countries or companies. Park Hyunjun, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Robross, said, "To develop humanoid robots, you need your own internal servers. Most companies use external servers, which means that images and videos captured by robots as they see and act are sent somewhere in real time. If business information acquired on manufacturing sites is transmitted to external servers, there is no telling what could happen," he warned.