South Korean technology news in Q1 of 2025
March 2025 ● February 2025 ● January 2025
- South Korea population (2023): 51.8 million
- South Korea online population: 49.4M / 95.4%
- South Korea’s median age: 45.5 years
Blue Security: Subsea cables and Maritime Security in Southeast Asia
South Korean tech news: March 2025
- National space agency is to invest a combined $562.5M in R&D projects in 2025 in bid to lift South Korea into position as 1 of 5 global leaders in aerospace, and space, sectors / full item
- Korea AeroSpace Administration’s strategic plans for space transportation, satellites, and space science exploration have been approved, looking to become a space power / full item
- Prosecution service formally launches specialized cryptocurrency crime investigation unit to fight crypto scams and coin fraud / full item
- In February, Ministry of SMEs & Startups launched the ‘AI Core Areas and Promising AI Transition Startup Development Program’, sharpening focus on high-value AI firms / full item
- Seoul city unveils strategy to grow the city’s AI industry, aiming to train 10,000 AI professionals annually, alongside establishing a learn-live-work hub / full item
- Democratic Party floats strategic Bitcoin reserve plans as election looms / full item
- South Korea is to establish a $34BN policy fund to support companies in strategic technologies, alongside new policies to attract cutting-edge industry talent / full item
- Samsung-Baidu collaboration on 2nm chips may now be on hold, with Donald Trump’s tightening semiconductor policies likely a contributing factor / full item
- Women Entrepreneurs Comprehensive Support Center commences in-country recruiting for the ‘2025 Women Entrepreneurs Global Accelerating’ program / full item
- South Korea’s FuriosaAI artificial intelligence chip firm has rejected Meta’s $800M acquisition bid / full item
- US Avride self-driving tech company partners Hyundai Motor Co to expand Avride robotaxi fleet, with deal also signed to jointly develop and operate self-driving vehicles / full item
- Taiwan’s TSMC is reportedly looking at investment in South Korea’s AI-focused semiconductor firm, FuriosaAI, which is separately in acquisition negotiations with Meta / full item
- Taiwan: South Korea’s Hyundai Card and Japan’s Line Pay partner for QR code payment capabilities for Taiwan users / full item
ASEAN Post-2025: Reimagining the ASEAN economic community
Korean tech news in February 2025
- NAVER corporate ventures arm, D2SF, backs whereableAI autonomous driving startup, with the firm testing 10 autonomous indoor vehicles at Incheon Int’l Airport / full item
- South Korea is reportedly to build and host the world’s largest AI data center, near 3 times Stargate’s size, with planned 3GW capacity and an estimated investment of near $35BN / full item
- Government plans to secure 10,000 high-grade processing units within the year in bid to keep pace with global AI developments with early launch of national AI center / full item
- South Korea’s FuriosaAI chips firm is reportedly in talks with Meta as the social media giant looks to develop AI infrastructure / full item
- South Korea is set to invest $23BN to help companies in battery and biotech sectors, alongside launching a national AI committee to position the country for global tech growth / full item
- Gwanak district is to demand that Korea’s fiat-trading crypto exchanges provide data on residents who failed to pay taxes, looking to seize and liquidate crypto assets / full item
- Gwacheon city to employ ‘electronic virtual asset seizing system’ to seize, freeze, and liquidate cryptocurrencies from tax-dodging residents / full item
- We are essentially funding nuclear weapons development in North Korea with our bad software practices…” “North Korea is able to use the funds it acquires from ransomware attacks… / full item
- Overheating cryptocurrency mining rigs caused a major fire in North Jeolla Province, emergency services have claimed / full item
- Indonesia’s East Ventures and South Korea’s SV Investment partner for SE Asia-South Korea investment fund, targeting tech startups for Series A to B funding / full item
- 8 nations including South Korea, Taiwan, and Australia have so far restricted access to DeepSeek AI services to some degree, citing concerns over data privacy / full item
China’s AI Infrastructure Surge: Data Centers, AI Models, Military, Global
South Korea tech news: January 2025
- Joint Investigation Unit for Virtual Asset Crimes is to formally launch February-March, responding to growth in virtual asset-related crimes / full item
- K-Work secures $552K with living support platform for foreign workers and international students, responding to the country’s declining working-age population / full item
- South Korea’s LG Energy battery maker inks 7-year battery supply deal with US EV starup, Aptera Motors, delivering cylindrical batteries for 2-seat, 3-wheeled solar EV / full item
- In 2024, South Korea became the first country in the world to replace more than 10% of its industrial workforce with robots, according to a World Robotics survey / full item
- South Korean chip exports to Taiwan, Vietnam, and the United States rose in 2024, with decline in sales to China / full item
- Financial Services Commission and Virtual Asset Committee to discuss plan to allow companies to buy, sell and hold crypto-assets later in 2025 / full item
- Jeju Island plans tourism campaign, attracting younger visitors by issuing NFT-based visitors’ cards / full item
- South Korea’s WIRobotics preps for the US launch of WIM, its 1.6kg, wearable, walking assistance robot / full item
- South Korea’s Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix secure promised funding for semiconductor plants in the US, tho uncertainty remains around possible Trump administration adjustments / full item
- Ministry of SMEs & Startups unveils $2.23BN startups support plan for 2025, spanning 429 startup support programs led by 101 organizations / full item
- Stock Exchange is now exploring approval of cryptocurrency exchange-traded spot ETFs / full item
- Samsung Electronics inks agreement for TV manufacturing in Kazakhstan to better supply growing demand in Kazakhstan and Central Asia / full item
- Samsung Electronics to become largest shareholder in Rainbow Robotics, looking to add Samsung’s AI and software expertise to intelligent, advanced humanoid robots / full item
- South Korean crypto exchange operator has been sentenced to 4 years in prison, found guilty of ‘leaking military secrets’ to North Korea in exchange for Bitcoin / full item
