Jang Seob Yoon
Research expert covering South Korea
Robotics industry in South Korea - statistics and facts
South Korea has strived to become a global leader in the robotics industry by leveraging its well-established industrial robot market and future-oriented investments in service robots. Earlier this year, the South Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy outlined its “4th Intelligent Robot Basic Plan,” which aims to promote the competitiveness of the domestic industry in several ways. The country’s impressive manufacturing sector boasts the highest density of industrial robots worldwide. On the other hand, developing various service robots can be an opportunity to equip the domestic economy with the tools to react to any changes in the active labor force in the future, especially when considering the nation’s demographic circumstances.
Other significant sources of revenue include robot services, parts and software, and robot systems. Companies in the services sector have engaged in the distribution of robots to great effect, with the majority of the sector’s sales deriving from wholesale or retail activities. The hardware and software going into the final product have been another strength of domestic producers, with the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) looking to be another catalyst for software innovation. As for the robot systems sector, it has made close ties to the bustling industrial robot market in the country. Although, this could possibly be a reflection of the status quo.
How is the South Korean robotics industry classified?
The industry comprises seven distinct categories: manufacturing robots, robot services, robot parts and software, robot systems, specialized service robots, personal service robots, and embedded robotics. The manufacturing robots sector is considered the most prominent subset of the wider robotics business, with many companies on both the supply and demand side of the market. In particular, the emergence of collaborative robots, or “cobots”, has proven to be an attractive solution for use cases on a smaller, more detailed scale.Other significant sources of revenue include robot services, parts and software, and robot systems. Companies in the services sector have engaged in the distribution of robots to great effect, with the majority of the sector’s sales deriving from wholesale or retail activities. The hardware and software going into the final product have been another strength of domestic producers, with the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) looking to be another catalyst for software innovation. As for the robot systems sector, it has made close ties to the bustling industrial robot market in the country. Although, this could possibly be a reflection of the status quo.
The potential of service robots
As robotics-related technology has developed, heightened interest in service robots has come to the fore. Personal service robots are familiar to most consumers, with robot vacuum cleaners being a prime example. However, most of the excitement has stemmed from the potential of service robots in specific roles, as they provide support to or even replace human labor in certain environments. From bolstering healthcare to minimizing human risk via Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), the advantages of utilizing specialized service robots have been attractive for the public and private sectors moving forward. On the back of ambitious government plans, the robotics industry in South Korea has geared up for expansion.
