Ministry of Trade Industry and Resources

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim) is hosting Robotworld 2026 at KINTEX in Goyang from November 4 to 7, 2026. The event is jointly organized by the Korea Association of AI Robot Industry (KAR), the Korea Institute for Robot Industry Advancement (KIRIA), and the Institute of Control, Robotics, and Systems (ICROS). This year’s exhibition is the largest to date, with 402 participating companies and 1,198 booths.

AI has recently been driving rapid change in the global robotics industry. According to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), approximately 603,000 industrial robots were installed in factories worldwide in 2025, an all-time high and an 11 percent increase from 2024. The number of industrial robots in operation also exceeded five million for the first time. Amid deepening labor shortages and growing AI adoption, robots are evolving from machines that repeat predefined tasks into “physical AI” that can make decisions and act autonomously. 

Korea is also at the center of this shift. According to IFR data for 2024, Korea has the world’s highest robot density in manufacturing, with 1,220 robots per 10,000 workers. Against this backdrop, Robotworld 2026 offers visitors an opportunity to examine the current state of the robotics industry in Korea and abroad and assess its future direction.

Robotworld opened with Korean-made humanoid robots performing K-pop choreography and taekwondo forms. Leading robotics companies from Korea and abroad are showcasing their robots’ performance and technological capabilities to buyers and visitors.
Ahead of the launch of the public-sector robot deployment program in 2027, companies at the K-Robot Public Pre-Market Pavilion are showcasing robots intended for public-sector use and demonstrating their key functions. These include humanoid, four-wheeled, quadruped, and care robots. A total of 22 companies are participating, including Raion Robotics (quadrupeds), LG Electronics (humanoids), and Clobot (four-wheeled robots). Public-sector organizations are assessing the robots’ performance firsthand at the exhibition and continuing detailed discussions with robotics companies, building on a product briefing on four-wheeled and quadruped robots for public-sector use held on October 28 and 29, 2026.

The K-Defense Commercial Robotics Technology Roadshow is also being held. The roadshow serves as a forum where private robotics companies showcase their advanced technologies to defense officials, while civilian and military participants jointly explore potential defense applications for robotics.

“With a wealth of manufacturing data and a highly skilled technical workforce, Korea has strong potential to become a global robotics powerhouse,” said Lee Min-woo, Deputy Minister for Industry and Growth at MOTIR, in his congratulatory remarks at the opening ceremony. “We will strengthen policy support so the robotics industry can quickly realize its potential and grow into an industry as important to Korea as semiconductors. We will also draw on private-sector capabilities to accelerate the adoption of robots in our defense sector.”

Following the opening ceremony, 25 individuals received government awards and commendations from MOTIR for their contributions to the robotics industry. The recipients included Ryu Jae-wan, CEO of SBB Tech, who received the Industrial Service Medal for helping develop and supply domestically produced core robot components. The awards were presented in the robotics category at the 2026 ceremony honoring contributions to the machinery and robotics industries.