Korea begins drafting safety and performance guidelines for humanoid robots
The institute is reviewing a draft with government ministries and will refine the criteria using real robot tests and feedback from industrial sites.
The Korea Robot Industry Promotion Institute and partner organizations have begun work on guidelines and verification criteria for assessing the safety and performance of humanoid robots, according to etnews.com.
The institute is reviewing a draft with the relevant government ministries. Detailed criteria will be refined by reflecting actual robot tests and opinions from industrial sites.
The government plans to purchase and distribute about 1,700 humanoids next year, expanding the fleet to a cumulative total of about 5,000 by 2030. Of next year's figure, 250 domestically made humanoids will be bought directly and supplied to universities and state-run research institutes, with that tally rising to 1,080 units cumulatively by 2030.
Work on a dedicated safety framework comes as international standards bodies extend existing rules. In October 2025, the International Organization for Standardization was still in the process of expanding humanoid evaluation items from existing industrial and service robot safety standards such as ISO 10218, and industry observers expected a dedicated safety standard to take concrete shape around 2029 at the earliest.
Quick answers
How many humanoid robots will the Korean government distribute next year?
The government plans to purchase and distribute about 1,700 humanoids next year, including 250 domestically made units for universities and state-run research institutes.
What is the 2030 target for humanoid deployment?
The government aims to expand the total to about 5,000 humanoids by 2030, with domestically made units reaching 1,080 cumulatively.