Korean IT companies are racing to validate humanoid robots for industrial deployment, with observers predicting that human-like robots will soon work alongside human operators at actual industrial sites. Competition among companies to gain dominance in the humanoid robot sector is expected to intensify.
According to industry sources on Sunday, POSCO Group will begin business validation of humanoid robots at its steel mills starting this month. "We plan to analyze the actual work environment and role distribution between humanoid robots and workers, then design and develop humanoid robots accordingly," a POSCO DX official said. "Testing and validation at actual sites will take approximately one year."
POSCO Group is prioritizing humanoid robot deployment at steel mills. Due to the nature of steel production, crane operations are essential for unloading finished rolled coils weighing dozens of tons. The work requires connecting coils to crane belts, and POSCO Group plans to introduce humanoid robots as collaborative workers for this task.
Multiple POSCO Group affiliates are participating in this project. POSCO will identify potential deployment points for humanoid robots at steel mill sites and evaluate on-site applicability. POSCO DX will design and build robot automation systems while jointly developing models specialized for steel mills. POSCO Capital will support proof-of-concept (PoC) work—small-scale testing to determine whether ideas or technologies are actually feasible.
LG CNS has been conducting more than 10 humanoid robot PoC projects across various industrial sectors since last year, testing multiple robot models including domestic, Chinese, and American products.
LG CNS ultimately aims to secure an integrated robot operation platform. The company plans to provide integrated services by combining humanoid robot hardware with its Robot Foundation Model (RFM) and proprietary robot platform for customers across smart factories, smart logistics, and smart cities.
Hyundai Motor (005380.KS) has been conducting technical validation of its humanoid robot "Atlas" at Metaplant America (HMGMA) in Georgia since late last year. From 2028, the company plans to deploy Atlas at the plant for tasks including parts sorting, with plans to expand operations to parts assembly starting in 2030.
Korean SME iL plans to launch its humanoid robot "iL Bot H1" in the first half of this year and will begin validation with group affiliates this month.
Korean companies are accelerating humanoid robot commercialization due to rapid market growth. According to Precedence Research, the global humanoid robot market is projected to reach $4 billion by 2030, more than double last year's $1.8 billion. Counterpoint Research forecasts cumulative humanoid robot installations will exceed 100,000 units by 2027, with logistics, manufacturing, and automotive sectors accounting for 72% of installations.
This backdrop explains why POSCO Group invested $3 million in U.S. humanoid robot startup Persona AI last year, and why LG CNS signed Korea's first strategic partnership with U.S. AI robotics company Skild AI.
"The biggest advantage of humanoid robots is versatility," said Kim Yong-jae, CEO of Werobotics. "While existing collaborative robots performed only one pre-programmed task at a single factory, humanoid robots can perform multiple types of work at one site, offering better return on investment."