# Korea begins 1,700 public robot rollout to back local makers by 2027 *A technical session between nine state agencies and 11 manufacturers tests wheeled and quadruped platforms before Seoul sets formal procurement rules.* **Published:** October 30, 2026 **By:** Dae-hyun Kim **Section:** Robotics & Automation — South Korea **Format:** Policy Tracker **Confidence:** high **Source:** https://eastasiabrief.com/robotics/korea-begins-1-700-public-robot-rollout-back-local-998 **Publisher:** East Asia Brief (https://eastasiabrief.com/) --- ## What to know - Korea begins operational trials to deploy 1,700 public AI robots in 2027 - Rainbow Robotics and Robotis position hardware for state orders worth a share of 500 billion won in fleet spending - Inter-agency Robot Public Procurement Guideline scheduled for publication in December 2026 ![Buyers inspect quadruped and wheeled robots during an industry procurement session in Seoul. (AI-generated image)](https://eastasiabrief.com/media/2026-10-29-86361049f6f3.webp) *Buyers inspect quadruped and wheeled robots during an industry procurement session in Seoul. (AI-generated image)* South Korea's industry ministry opened a technical procurement session Oct. 28, 2026, to align state agencies with domestic manufacturers ahead of deploying 1,700 public artificial intelligence robots in 2027. The two-day conference in Seoul brought nine public entities together with 11 local equipment builders. Participating buyers reviewed wheeled and quadruped machines to match specific municipal duties with mechanical requirements. South Korea's government plans to act as an initial buyer to build field references, test navigation software and generate training datasets across public infrastructure. The strategy seeks to commercialize domestic autonomous systems. The 1,700-robot purchase serves as the opening phase of a state program to deploy 5,000 public robots by 2030. That broader fleet includes 1,080 humanoid machines slated for state laboratories and hazardous response units. National planners designed the state fleet to support a larger target of distributing 200,000 public and commercial AI robots nationwide by 2030. The broader initiative aims to counter manufacturing labor shortages. South Korea's Ministry of Economy and Finance approved a fiscal roadmap committing 600 billion won ($435 million) in 2027 state spending for robotics development. The plan expands to 2.3 trillion won through 2030. Private sector matching funds will add roughly 400 billion won to the program by 2030. Finished machine procurement and field deployment account for 500 billion won ($362 million) of the combined investment budget. Nine state entities took part in the technical consultations at the SETEC exhibition center. The cohort included the Ministry of National Defense, the Army Headquarters, the National Fire Agency and the Korean National Police Agency. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Korea Industrial Complex Corporation joined the review sessions. Each public entity presented unique operational requirements to the participating engineering teams. Military representatives evaluated robotic platforms capable of perimeter patrol, unpaved terrain mobility and tactical reconnaissance. Police officials reviewed autonomous outdoor monitoring systems designed for public parks and transit hubs. The National Fire Agency outlined requirements for heat-resistant chassis and search sensors operable in smoke-filled structures. Industrial park managers sought automated monitoring platforms to inspect high-pressure pipeline corridors and detect gas leaks. Eleven domestic robotics companies exhibited four-wheeled mobile bases and four-legged walking platforms during the event. Engineering teams demonstrated obstacle navigation, automated stair climbing and emergency battery recharging cycles. Rainbow Robotics demonstrated its RBQ-10 quadruped platform, featuring modular leg actuators and dynamic balance algorithms for irregular terrain. The platform can carry a 15-kilogram payload at speeds up to nine kilometers per hour. Samsung Electronics holds a 14.8% stake in Rainbow Robotics as its largest shareholder. Rainbow Robotics recorded 15.3 billion won ($11.1 million) in 2025 revenue, leaving its four-legged division highly leveraged to state purchase contracts. Robotis showcased four-wheeled outdoor delivery robots powered by proprietary cycloidal reduction gear actuators. The company operates delivery platforms under special regulatory sandboxes across residential and commercial test zones. Modular actuators generated roughly 65% of the 37.8 billion won ($27.4 million) in total revenue that Robotis reported for 2025. Large public procurement orders would directly expand utilization at its actuator manufacturing lines. Hyundai Motor demonstrated industrial mobile platforms developed through its advanced robotics units. The automotive group is adapting commercial chassis engineering and sensor suites to build heavy-duty inspection machines for municipal facilities. Autonomous driving developer Neubility presented camera-vision delivery robots designed to operate without expensive lidar sensors. The company relies on visual mapping software to lower hardware production costs for municipal patrol fleets. Field data collected during public operations will return to domestic manufacturers, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said. Developers will use the operational logs to refine motion control models and sensor algorithms. The feedback loop aims to transition Korean robotics from clean laboratory benchmarks to real-world industrial durability. Municipal deployments will expose systems to winter sub-zero temperatures, agricultural mud, monsoon rain and uneven concrete. South Korea's industrial policy targets raising domestic component self-sufficiency from 45% to 80% by 2030. The ministry has earmarked 500 billion won specifically to develop local precision strain-wave gears, servomotors and robotic controller chips. South Korean robot assemblers currently import precision speed reducers from Japanese manufacturers like Harmonic Drive Systems and Nabtesco. State procurement specifications will mandate higher domestic component ratios to accelerate local supply chain substitution. Early state orders will provide domestic robotics suppliers with certified track records needed for international tenders. Korean companies face intense price competition from Chinese mobile robot manufacturers in commercial factory logistics markets. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy plans to finalize a joint Robot Public Procurement Guideline by late December 2026. The inter-agency framework will govern supply-chain origin rules, maintenance standards and operational data sharing. Public agencies will examine additional robotic hardware at the RoboWorld exhibition scheduled for Nov. 4 to Nov. 7 at KINTEX in Goyang. That exhibition will add humanoid and eldercare models to the review schedule. The ministry's notice did not state the specific robot allocation breakdown across the nine agencies or disclose the finalized procurement budget for the 1,700-unit deployment. ## Impact map | Event | Korea | China | Japan | Global impact | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Korea 1,700-robot public procurement rollout | Rainbow Robotics and Robotis gain initial volume run, targeting 80% component localization by 2030 | Commercial mobile robot exporters face higher entry barriers in Korean state infrastructure | Harmonic Drive Systems and Nabtesco face medium-term speed reducer substitution in Korean robotic assemblies | Public fleet deployment establishes operational dataset and export qualification benchmark for Korean physical AI hardware | ## In this story - **Companies:** Rainbow Robotics, Robotis, Hyundai Motor - **Tickers:** 277810.KQ, 108490.KQ, 005380.KS - **Exposed:** Neubility - **Policy:** Procurement Rules, Standards - **Impact:** Order Book, Supply Chain ## Primary sources 1. motir.go.kr 2. kdi.re.kr 3. yna.co.kr 4. hsgdn.co.kr 5. korea.kr --- Cite as: East Asia Brief, "Korea begins 1,700 public robot rollout to back local makers by 2027," October 30, 2026. https://eastasiabrief.com/robotics/korea-begins-1-700-public-robot-rollout-back-local-998