← October 13, 2026 briefing · added in the 16:00 KST update
Korean ministries hold 2027 physical AI briefing: budget proposal rises from ₩900B to ₩3.1T, ₩172.8B for SME manufacturing pilots (report)
Announced October 13, 2026
Verified (fact)
Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT, Ministry of SMEs and Startups, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and others held a 2027 cross-ministry physical AI program briefing on the 13th at 'Physical AI Tech Week' at COEX in Seoul. Next year's proposed physical AI budget rose from ₩900 billion this year to ₩3.1 trillion and will be finalized after National Assembly review. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups will put ₩172.8 billion into physical AI pilots at small and medium-sized manufacturers, and companies selected for integrated pilots will receive up to ₩4.5 billion over up to three years. The Ministry of Science and ICT will invest in developing general-purpose physical AI models and building robot training environments. Program areas include mail sorting, crop cultivation and harvesting, and automated container handling at ports.
Why it matters (interpretation)
This is the first detailed picture of which programs, and under what conditions, the physical AI budget will fund. The government has named physical AI one of its three mega-projects. Robotics and manufacturing AI companies can prepare for next year's calls for proposals.
Confidence medium · official source pending
Sources
- Press 정부, 내년 피지컬 AI 확 키운다…9천억→2조 1000억 ZDNet Korea
- Press 로봇이 우편물 분류하고 농사짓고…범부처 피지컬 AI 개발·실증 확대 Electronic Times (Korea)
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