TLDR: South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT has launched the ‘Physical AI Global Alliance’ on September 29, 2025, bringing together approximately 250 entities from government, industry, academia, and research. The alliance aims to promote research in physical artificial intelligence, encompassing humanoid robots and autonomous vehicles, with the goal of securing global leadership and making Korea a top-three AI powerhouse. Major participants include Hyundai Motor, LG AI Research, Naver Cloud, KAIST, and international tech giants like AWS, OpenAI, and Google Cloud.
SEOUL, South Korea – On September 29, 2025, the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) officially launched the ‘Physical AI Global Alliance,’ a comprehensive initiative designed to propel South Korea to the forefront of physical artificial intelligence research and development. This ambitious alliance unites approximately 250 key players from government, industry, academia, and research sectors, reflecting a national commitment to becoming one of the world’s top three AI powerhouses.
Physical AI refers to advanced systems where artificial intelligence programs are integrated into physical devices such as humanoid robots, autonomous vehicles, drones, and smart devices. These systems are capable of analyzing their surroundings, making informed decisions, and executing actions in the real world.
Science Minister Bae Kyung-hoon emphasized the strategic importance of this new frontier, stating, “Physical AI is a key technology that connects AI to the real world and is emerging as a center in the global hegemony competition.” He added, “We will lay the foundation for Korea to secure technological sovereignty and secure global technological competitiveness through the Physical AI Global Alliance.” The Minister also highlighted the collaborative spirit, noting, “Government organizations, including the science, industry and startups ministries, will consolidate their efforts with businesses and universities to establish the ecosystem for the physical AI industry.”
The alliance is co-chaired by a diverse group of seven prominent figures, including the ministers of Science and ICT, Trade, Industry and Energy, and SMEs and Startups. They are joined by two bipartisan lawmakers from the National Assembly’s Science, Technology, Information, Broadcasting and Communication Committee – Chung Dong-young of the Democratic Party of Korea and Choi Hyung-doo of the People’s Power Party. The presidents of the Korea Artificial Intelligence Software Industry Association and the Korea Automobile Mobility Industry Association also serve as co-chairs, ensuring broad representation and expertise.
Key industry leaders and academic institutions are actively participating, including Hyundai Motor Co., HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., LG AI Research, Naver Cloud, SK Shields, and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). International collaboration is also a cornerstone, with U.S. big tech companies such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) Korea, OpenAI, and Google Cloud joining the initiative to foster global technology cooperation.
The Physical AI Global Alliance is structured into 10 specialized divisions, comprising five ecosystem divisions and five domain divisions. The ecosystem divisions, which include participants like LG AI Research Institute, NAVER Cloud, SK Shields, KAIST, and AWS Korea, will focus on developing public-private cooperation models and strategies for international standardization. The domain divisions will concentrate on the development and application of physical AI technologies tailored to specific industries.
Notable appointments to lead these divisions include Lim Woo-hyung of LG AI Research as head of technology, Yoo-won Kim of Naver Cloud for solutions, and Kisic Min of SK Shieldus for governance. KAIST President Kwang-hyung Lee will lead the talent division, while Amazon Web Services Korea chief Jeongwon Yoon will oversee global cooperation. Industry-specific committees will cover critical areas such as AI-defined vehicles (led by Hyundai Motor CEO Lee Dong-seok), fully autonomous robots (led by Doosan Robotics CEO Min-pyo Kim), heavy industries (led by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries CEO Sang-gyun Lee), wellness technologies (led by Kakao Healthcare CEO Hee Hwang), and AI-driven content recognition, with AI chip executives Jun-ho Baek of FuriosaAI and Sung-hyun Park of Rebellions also taking leadership roles.
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The Ministry of Science and ICT plans to concentrate its efforts on solving critical problems, cultivating a skilled talent pool, securing essential data, and facilitating market entry for physical AI technologies. This alliance is also expected to work in conjunction with another coalition established earlier this month, which focuses on AI-driven transformation in manufacturing, underscoring a holistic national strategy for AI advancement.
