[Exclusive] Lee Jae-myung Administration to Unveil Blueprint for 'K-Robotics' Development... Hyundai, LG, and Doosan to Attend (Comprehensive)

Policy Achievements and New Measures Briefing on June 29
President Lee, Doosan, Hyundai Motor, and Others to Attend
Industry Representatives to Present On-Site Opinions and Policy Needs
Expectations for Expansion of Korea's Robotics Ecosyst

The Lee Jae-myung administration is accelerating its efforts to foster the robotics industry, following previous initiatives in semiconductors and artificial intelligence (AI). The government plans to bring together key figures from leading robotics companies to discuss policy achievements and future strategies, and to nurture fields such as AI and robotics as national strategic industries with the goal of joining the global top three.

President Lee Jae-myung is questioning Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Koo Yoon-chol, who has just finished reporting to ministries at the Cabinet meeting and the Emergency Economic Inspection Meeting held at the Blue House on the 23rd. Photo by Yonhap News

According to industry and political sources on June 24, President Lee Jae-myung will present a report titled "Policy Achievements and New Measures Related to Robotics, AI, and Semiconductors" on June 29. This session will be held separately from the public-private joint meeting on the "Great Transformation of National Territory (Balanced National Development)," which will also take place at the Blue House State Guest House on the same day.

At this event, the government will announce its plan to newly designate "Physical AI" as a national strategic industry and to develop fields such as AI and robotics into global top-three sectors. The meeting will be attended by domestic robotics manufacturers such as Hyundai Motor Company, Doosan Robotics, LG Electronics, Arobot, and Robotis, as well as robotic integration solution provider DIME Research and KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology).

Specifically, it is understood that the attendees will include Minwoo Park, President of Hyundai Motor Company; Minpyo Kim, CEO of Doosan Robotics; Yoonseol Eom, CEO of Arobot; and Byungsoo Kim, CEO of Robotis, along with 10 to 15 representatives from major robotics companies in Korea. LG Electronics, which has recently been focusing on developing home robots and actuators, is also reportedly considering attending. It is expected that most companies will send executives at the CEO level.

This event has been organized as part of a nationwide reporting session to explain the Lee Jae-myung administration's policy direction in its second year in office. Attendees are expected to review major policy achievements in robotics, AI, and semiconductors, and to share feedback from the industrial field.

In particular, this reporting session is aligned with the government’s "Korea’s Great Leap Forward: Three Major Mega Projects." These projects are structured around three pillars: the national AI strategy, balanced regional development, and the fostering of new industries. In the new industry sector, robotics, AI, semiconductors, and autonomous driving are included as key areas. Recently, President Lee has emphasized the need to actively nurture new growth engines in Korea’s industries, such as robotics, aerospace, K-bio, and K-defense, to rival the semiconductor sector.

A representative from the robotics industry commented, "While the national AI strategy focuses on building infrastructure such as data centers, the new industry sector will address robotics. Executives from robotics companies are expected to participate and communicate the needs and feedback of the industry field."

The industry is paying close attention to the possibility that these discussions may go beyond mere industrial support and expand to the establishment of a domestic robotics ecosystem. This is because the robotics industry cannot grow through finished product manufacturing alone and requires an organically connected industrial structure, including AI technology, data centers, semiconductors, and actuators.

In fact, Hyundai Motor Company has already announced plans to develop Saemangeum in North Jeolla Province as a global hub for hydrogen, robotics, and AI. The company aims to invest a total of 9 trillion won to establish a physical AI value chain, encompassing hydrogen energy production facilities, AI data centers, and robot manufacturing plants. On June 8, Hyundai also announced its partnership with Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, to jointly pursue the "Saemangeum AI Valley" project.

As a result, there is speculation within the industry that the future fostering of the robotics industry may be linked with regional balanced development strategies. Analysts note that if AI data centers, advanced manufacturing facilities, and robotic production bases are concentrated in specific regions, an industrial ecosystem similar to a semiconductor cluster could form.

Another industry official stated, "Since infrastructure and talent for AI and robotics are also concentrated in the capital area, relocating production facilities to the provinces is not easy. However, since data centers are crucial for AI, the Honam region may have an advantage in terms of available land. What matters most is ensuring sufficient infrastructure."

Major domestic robotics companies are planning investments to expand their presence both domestically and internationally. Doosan Robotics is focusing its business capabilities on expanding into the North American and European markets, while also investing in strengthening its physical AI competitiveness and training personnel. HD Hyundai Robotics, headquartered in Dalseong-gun, Daegu, is also considering new investments, including expanding its Daegu plant.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.