The Ministry of Science and ICT unveiled Tuesday the "Next-X Humanoid Challenge" at a meeting held to gather feedback on its AI humanoid roadmap at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology in Seoul.
Domestic robots will compete through a public call and evaluation to win designation as a national-champion platform.
The initiative falls under K-Moonshot, the government's program to accelerate science and technology through AI, and aims to secure a world-class Korean humanoid platform within three years.
At the meeting, program director Yeo Jun-gu presented the draft roadmap and oversaw the appointment of a steering committee.
Participants discussed developing core humanoid technologies and securing data, building cooperation among industry, universities and research institutes, and linking research outcomes to commercialization and overseas expansion.
"The next big wave after AI will be physical intelligence that judges and moves on its own in the physical world, and the humanoid is its core platform," Yeo said.
He added that Korea must nurture a technologically sovereign humanoid as a national strategic asset to counter the crisis of a shrinking population and safeguard future competitiveness.
The ministry said it would refine the roadmap based on the feedback and present it as an agenda item at a ministerial science and technology meeting next month.
AJP Takeaways
• South Korea's science ministry will launch the "Next-X Humanoid Challenge" in 2027, a competition to select a national flagship humanoid robot platform through a public call and evaluation.
• The challenge is part of K-Moonshot, the government's AI-driven research acceleration program, which targets a world-class Korean humanoid platform within three years.
• The Ministry of Science and ICT plans to refine its AI humanoid roadmap and submit it to a ministerial science and technology meeting in September.
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