Science ministry spotlights Physical AI in Seoul event

Second Vice Minister Ryu Je-myung called Physical AI one of the three mega-projects that will lead South Korea's future, alongside semiconductors and AI data centers, at the Physical AI Tech Day at COEX in Seoul.

Speaking at the opening of the event, held under the theme "Intelligence into Action," Ryu said Physical AI is a core technology of the AI transformation that raises productivity and safety across manufacturing, logistics, agriculture, medical care and mobility. "Physical AI cannot be completed by any single technology or company, so close cooperation between industry, academia and research is important," he said.

He added that the government will actively support industrial application and diffusion so that strong technologies move beyond research and development into field demonstrations and commercialization.

The event was the second day of the Physical AI Tech Week held at the convention center from Oct. 13 to 14. The session brought together domestic and foreign experts from industry, academia and research to share global technology trends and discuss cooperation to strengthen Korea's competitiveness and spread the technology across industries.

After his opening remarks, Ryu toured a Physical AI technology exhibition at the venue, reviewing AI semiconductors, data, AI-based factory optimization, and collaborative robots and humanoids presented by Korean companies and research institutes.

The program included keynote lectures by Friendly AI CEO Jeon Byeong-gon, MIT professor Kim Sang-bae, and Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology professor Lee Gyu-bin, along with technical presentations on "Intelligence in Operation" and "Intelligence in Physics." In the afternoon, a Physical AI talk concert gave students, businesspeople and researchers a chance to discuss the concept and value of the technology, and the goals and vision of national research and development, in plain terms.