South Korea has had a robot statute since 2008, and its robot certification articles were deleted in 2016

The document exists. The ledger fetched it at its publisher and quotes it.

Record ID

PAG-2026-0039

Kind

Binding law

Jurisdiction

South Korea

Last verified

16 September 2026

Added

16 September 2026

• The National Law Information Center shows the Act in force from 1 October 2025 as Act No. 21065, amended through another statute.
• Article 2 defines an intelligent robot as a mechanical device that perceives the external environment for itself, discerns circumstances, and moves voluntarily.
• Article 5(1): the Government shall establish a basic plan every five years for the development and distribution of intelligent robots.
• Articles 10 through 16, which carried intelligent robot quality certification, are recorded as deleted by Act No. 13744 of 6 January 2016.
• Article 18 lets the Government enact a charter on intelligent robot ethics for developers, manufacturers and users; Article 9 leaves the trade minister a policy power over robot quality.

The machine, The AI inside it, Workers and bystanders, Liability. Stated means the document you can open below says it; silent means the ledger read the document and it does not.

The machineStated

Since 2016 this Act certifies nothing; robot safety runs through general industrial standards and occupational safety law instead.Korea Legislation Research Institute, English translation of the Intelligent Robots Development and Distribution Promotion Act, secondary source, 16 September 2026.

The AI inside itSilent

The statute is about promotion and distribution of intelligent robots and sets no requirement for the intelligence inside them.Korea Legislation Research Institute, English translation of the Intelligent Robots Development and Distribution Promotion Act, secondary source, 16 September 2026.

Workers and bystandersStated

The Act directs support toward distribution to socially disadvantaged people and toward an ethics charter, rather than toward protection from the machine.Korea Legislation Research Institute, English translation of the Intelligent Robots Development and Distribution Promotion Act, secondary source, 16 September 2026.

LiabilitySilent

Nothing in the Act says who answers when an intelligent robot causes harm.Korea Legislation Research Institute, English translation of the Intelligent Robots Development and Distribution Promotion Act, secondary source, 16 September 2026.

Do not tell a Korean buyer, or your own board, that your robot is certified under Korea's robot act. That scheme is gone. What the Act gives you is a five year national plan to align with and a promotion apparatus to sell into, while safety evidence has to come from the general standards regime.

1. National Law Information Center, 지능형 로봇 개발 및 보급 촉진법, in force textPrimary · 1 October 2025
2. Korea Legislation Research Institute, English translation of the Intelligent Robots Development and Distribution Promotion ActSecondary · 16 September 2026

• VerifiedBinding lawPAG-2026-0040

  South Korea's AI framework law never says robot, and its safety duty is triggered by compute

  South Korea · verified 16 September 2026

  Addenda Article 1: the Act enters into force one year after promulgation, with the digital medical device part of the high impact definition from 24 January 2026.

• VerifiedProgram or strategyPAG-2026-0041

  South Korea runs its humanoid push through a ministry led alliance, and the ministry names training data as a policy measure

  South Korea · verified 16 September 2026

  The release is dated 5 March 2026 and names Hyundai Motor Company, AeiROBOT, Robros, Yuil Robotics, Tesollo, Higen RNM, Seoul National University, KEIT and KETI as participants.