Han Jae-kwon, a professor in Hanyang University's Department of Robotics Engineering and chief technology officer (CTO) of AeiROBOT, said on the 12th, "Developing Humanoid Robot is truly advantageous for Korea, where many downstream industries are clustered," adding, "We need to deploy robots to manufacturing sites and quickly make industrial data our own."
Han made the remarks while giving a lecture on "domestic and global Humanoid Robot industry and technology trends" at the "2025 advanced industry standard leadership forum general meeting" held that day in the main conference room of the Hanyang Institute of Technology (HIT) at Hanyang University in Seongdong-gu, Seoul.
Han began by saying that the need to introduce robots is expanding as population aging deepens. Han said, "The need to apply robots is increasing due to the population cliff, but there are few robots that have succeeded in industrialization," and added, "To be used on industrial sites, a robot must be able to work in complex, hazardous, or cramped spaces, and it is difficult to meet those requirements."
Han said a general-purpose Humanoid Robot can solve this problem. A Humanoid Robot is a general-purpose robot that can perform human tasks. Han said, "Existing robots stop working after achieving a single purpose, but a Humanoid Robot can immediately do another job when one task ends," adding, "It can be deployed to industrial sites in place of humans."
According to Han, the market already understands the potential of Humanoid Robot. Global market research firm "Fortune Business Insights" projected that the market size will grow from $2.43 billion in 2023 to $66.0 billion in 2032. Households using Humanoid Robot are also expected to increase. Macquarie forecast that the penetration rate of Humanoid Robot will expand from 0.85% (1.16 million units deployed) in 2030 to 8.52% (9.42 million units) in 2035.
Han said Humanoid Robot will become a catalyst for a new industrial revolution. Han said, "When smartphones came out, people imagined new things, and new industries and jobs were born," adding, "When Humanoid Robot are developed, people will be able to imagine a variety of services. This is what we call an industrial revolution."
Han stressed in particular that Korea, a manufacturing country, can have strengths in the Humanoid Robot field. Han said, "Just as corporations that make tires and headlights are needed to assemble a finished automobile, downstream industries that make countless parts are important for robots," adding, "Korea, where related industries are heavily clustered, is truly advantageous."
He went on, "What matters is data," adding, "We must recognize that there is a tremendous amount of data on industrial sites and strengthen our resolve to protect it." Han added, "Our path forward is to deploy Korea's robots to manufacturing sites in a race against time and make the related data our own."
Han also expressed expectations for the "K-Humanoid Alliance," launched in April this year. It is a Humanoid Robot research and development consortium composed of the government, academia, and more than 200 robot manufacturing corporations. Major conglomerates such as Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, Doosan Robotics, and HD Hyundai Robotics; research institutions such as Seoul National University, KAIST, and Yonsei University; and specialized manufacturers and parts corporations such as Rainbow Robotics, AeiROBOT, and Angel Robotics are participating.
Han said, "At first, about 40 corporations participated, but in just a few months it has grown into a massive organization with more than 200 members and has now evolved into the Humanoid Max Alliance," adding, "Please pay attention to the fact that many things are happening here. We are a community that can act with speed, precision, and powerful strength."