AI is now capable of creating blueprints and identifying risks on construction sites. Before building a city, it first creates a virtual model using digital twins. In completed homes, AI manages energy use and safety. Lee Seong-hoon, president of the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH), has made 'AI transformation' a key priority since taking office. South Korea's largest public housing and urban development corporation is transitioning from a 'housing construction company' to an 'AI urban enterprise.'
AI is set to bring significant changes to the construction industry in South Korea.
Unlike automobiles or semiconductors, which can be mass-produced in factories, homes and cities are unique. Each site has different land shapes, elevations, roads, and surrounding environments. Numerous people and companies are involved in the entire process, from design and land preparation to construction, safety management, occupancy, and maintenance.
That is why LH is focusing on AI.
Lee emphasized the acceleration of housing supply, innovation in public housing quality, and balanced regional growth alongside 'AI transformation' as key initiatives upon his appointment in July 2026.
LH's use of AI goes beyond employees simply generating documents with AI. The goal is to transform LH's core operations—design, construction, safety, urban development, and housing management—through AI.
The starting point is design.
LH has developed AI-based Building Information Modeling (BIM) software for automated earthwork design. BIM is a technology that encapsulates various information about buildings and facilities in a three-dimensional digital model.
By integrating AI, repetitive design tasks can be automated, allowing for rapid comparison of multiple alternatives. AI analyzes complex conditions such as land elevation, road placement, and building layout to assist designers in their decision-making.
This marks a shift from traditional manual drafting to 'construction designed collaboratively by AI and humans.'
AI's role is even more direct on construction sites.
LH operates a real-time integrated monitoring system called 'Nulbom A-Eye' to prevent accidents among construction workers and residents of rental housing.
AI analyzes data from CCTV footage and IoT sensors to identify hazardous situations. Plans are underway to enhance analysis accuracy by applying generative AI technology known as VLM (Vision Language Model).
Previously, safety managers had to monitor CCTV feeds or patrol sites. However, it is impossible for a person to oversee numerous sites simultaneously around the clock.
AI can continuously monitor data from multiple CCTV cameras and sensors.
This means a 24/7 'AI safety officer' is effectively deployed on construction sites.
Before building new towns, AI will first create them virtually.
Digital twins are technologies that replicate real cities and buildings in a virtual space.
Before constructing an actual city, planners can create a digital version to examine road and building layouts and connect data on traffic, environment, and energy.
With AI, the potential applications expand even further.
AI can analyze vast amounts of urban data to identify issues and compare various development options. Even after a city is completed, changes occurring in reality can be reflected in the digital twin for ongoing management.
This creates an 'AI city' where urban planning, design, construction, and operation are interconnected through a single data framework.
If the Korea Land and Geospatial Informatix Corporation (LX) creates a 'land that AI can read' through spatial information and digital twins, LH can play a role in building 'cities and homes where AI operates' on top of that.
LH is engaged in large-scale development projects across the country, including new towns, public housing, and industrial complexes. These sites can serve as a massive testing ground for South Korea's construction AI.
The next step involves physical AI.
While generative AI creates text and images, physical AI perceives and makes judgments about reality to operate robots and machinery.
Drones can capture images of construction sites, allowing AI to analyze progress and identify risks. Construction robots and automated equipment can take over dangerous or repetitive tasks. BIM and digital twins provide the spatial information necessary for robots to operate and perform tasks.
LH's construction sites nationwide offer opportunities to test these technologies in real-world scenarios.
If AI and robots are combined with South Korea's construction and urban development experience, it could lead to a new competitive edge for K-construction in the global market.
AI is also making its way into homes.
The AI transformation does not end once an apartment is completed.
LH is exploring future living spaces by introducing standard modular homes integrated with AI appliance technology in collaboration with Samsung Electronics.
Homes are evolving from mere sleeping spaces into 'smart spaces' that understand residents' lifestyles and manage energy, appliances, and safety.
If AI can analyze energy consumption and detect anomalies in housing facilities, it could reduce management costs and accidents in public housing.
The structure is that AI designs the home, monitors the construction site, assists with construction through robots, and manages daily living in the completed home.
Ultimately, the pressing issue is how quickly housing can be supplied.
However, there is a more critical issue than the dazzling AI technology.
Housing supply.
Lee emphasized that reducing the waiting time for citizens to receive homes is a vital responsibility of LH.
AI should ultimately be used to address this issue.
By shortening project review periods through AI design and digital twins, and streamlining construction processes and safety management with AI, housing supply speed can be increased.
Thus, the standard for evaluating LH's AI competitiveness is straightforward.
It is not about how many AI technologies have been adopted, but rather how quickly and safely good homes have been supplied using AI.
This is where Lee's emphasis on 'rapid housing supply' intersects with 'AI transformation.'
From a 'housing construction company' to an 'AI urban enterprise.'
The significance of LH's AI transformation lies in its scale.
When LH changes, it does not change in isolation.
It connects with design firms, construction companies, construction machinery, robotics, smart home, and energy companies. If LH actively applies AI technology, the entire related industry can be mobilized.
AI-BIM will be used for design, and AI will monitor the construction site. Digital twins will replicate cities in virtual space, while robots and physical AI will enter construction sites. In completed homes, AI will manage safety and daily living.
At the moment all these technologies are interconnected, the smartification of a single home will not just begin, but the AI transformation of entire cities will commence.
While LH has built new towns across South Korea in the past, a new challenge awaits in the AI era.
It is to create a 'South Korea where AI builds homes and manages cities.'
:Lee Seong-hoon, President of the Korea Land and Housing Corporation:
Lee Seong-hoon has been leading LH since July 2026, focusing on accelerating housing supply, innovating public housing quality, promoting balanced regional growth, and driving AI transformation as key management tasks.
Drawing on diverse policy and field experience in the land and transportation sector, he is tasked with integrating AI and digital technologies into LH's design, construction, safety, urban development, and housing management operations to transform LH into a future-oriented housing and urban enterprise.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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