South Korea Forms K-Humanoid Alliance to Boost Robotics Innovation

South Korea's top robotics firms, AI experts, and government organizations are collaborating to create humanoid robots specifically designed for the nation's manufacturing industry. On April 10, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced the establishment of the "K-Humanoid Alliance," a new consortium of more than 40 local robotics makers, component suppliers, and research institutions.

At the launching ceremony, participating companies inked a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to collaboratively build humanoid AI systems. Twelve robotics companies signed the agreement, among them Rainbow Robotics—newly acquired by Samsung Electronics—HD Hyundai Robotics, the country's top industrial robot supplier, and Doosan Robotics.

Major battery manufacturers—LG Energy Solution, SK On, and Samsung SDI—have also signed up to help develop battery systems for humanoid robots. They are accompanied by semiconductor companies like Rebellions and DEEPX, which are likely to be used to power next-generation AI systems.

From the education community, 15 of South Korea's most renowned robotics AI specialists, including Seoul National University, Professor Jang Byung-tak, will be involved in the project. Starting in the latter half of this year, they will take the lead to develop a "robot AI foundation model," the core processing platform for Korean-type humanoid robots. The participating companies will make their contributions by donating robot hardware or proprietary data to support the AI development teams. Seven other companies—such as LG Electronics and CJ Logistics, which intend to incorporate humanoids into major production processes—will also be contributing to the project.

Humanoid robots, designed to mimic human appearance and behavior, are equipped with AI systems that enable autonomous decision-making and operation. While South Korea is recognized for its advanced robotics hardware, the country has been criticized for lagging behind the U.S. and China in independent AI development and hardware-software integration. The formation of the K-Humanoid Alliance represents a unified effort by the government, industry, and academia to close that gap through coordinated development.

“The humanoid robot market is projected to grow from $1.5 billion in 2025 to $38 billion by 2035—a 25-fold increase over the next decade,” said Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Ahn Duk-geun. “As this is directly linked to the future competitiveness of our manufacturing sector, we must accelerate efforts to compete globally.”