The government has set out in earnest to push forward with the goal of distributing one million intelligent robots without any setbacks.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy held the second Advanced Robot Economy Task Force on the 26th, presided over by First Vice Minister Kang Kyung-sung.

The Advanced Robot Economy Task Force is a public-private consultative body composed of government officials and experts from industry, academia, and research institutes that discusses development plans for the robot industry. About 20 people, including government officials, business leaders, and experts, attended the meeting on this day.

On this day, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy reported on follow-up measures for four agenda items, including the National Robot Test Field implementation plan submitted to the first meeting, while also discussing measures to expand the supply of advanced robots and a comprehensive amendment to the Intelligent Robot Act.

First, the government will prepare an implementation plan by the first half of next year to achieve the goal of distributing 1 million units by 2030 under the 4th Basic Plan for Intelligent Robots.

In particular, there are plans to establish sector-specific deployment targets across 10 major fields, including manufacturing, medical, safety, and construction, centered around each ministry, and to identify customized policies to achieve them. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy will monitor sector-specific deployment targets and implementation status through the Advanced Robot Economy Task Force.

In addition, the Ministry of Industry will fully revise the Intelligent Robot Act within this year. Although 16 years have passed since the Robotics Act was enacted in 2008, there are assessments from the industry that it lags behind the speed of rapid industrial and technological development due to the lack of changes in its legal structure and key provisions.

Through this revision, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy plans to redefine new technologies and industries, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and humanoid robots, and establish new provisions to foster them. To this end, it will comprehensively review the definitions of terms such as the robot industry and robot technology, taking into account recent industrial trends.

In addition, the government will promote the diffusion of robots through initiatives such as AI autonomous manufacturing leading projects, and will revamp various support policies including fostering specialized robot companies, training the workforce, and strengthening technological capabilities. Furthermore, it is considering establishing a 'Robot System Advancement Council' to systematically review current human-centered laws and regulations in areas such as labor, transportation, and finance, and to identify alternatives.

First Vice Minister Kang Kyung-sung stated, “The robot industry is a key new future industry that will respond to demographic changes and boost manufacturing productivity,” adding, “In order to respond quickly to the speed of robot technology advancement and global competition for hegemony, we will push forward with the robot dissemination expansion plan and the amendment of the Robot Act announced today in a timely manner without delay.”