A New Turning Point in Korea’s Robotics Industry: Humanoid Robots Redefining Manufacturing

As of November 2025, one of the most notable technological trends in the global manufacturing industry is the full-scale commercialization of humanoid robots. Particularly in Korea, unprecedented investments are being made at both governmental and private levels to secure global leadership in this field. According to the latest report from the Korea Institute for Robot Industry Advancement, the domestic robot market is expected to expand from 7.2 trillion won in 2024 to 20 trillion won by 2030, with the share of humanoid robots increasing from the current 3% to 15% by 2030. This growth is not merely a result of technological advancement but stems from the industry’s urgent need for solutions that can simultaneously meet the flexibility and efficiency required in manufacturing environments.

Hyundai Motor Group began pilot operations of 15 Atlas humanoid robots from Boston Dynamics (based in Massachusetts) at its Ulsan plant in the first half of 2025. This is regarded as the first large-scale adoption of humanoid robots in the domestic automobile industry. According to a Hyundai representative, these robots are handling complex assembly tasks and quality inspections that were challenging for traditional industrial robots, showing excellent performance in collaborative environments with human workers. In fact, within six months of their introduction, productivity on the line improved by 23%, and the defect rate decreased from 0.8% to 0.3%. These results demonstrate that humanoid robots are not just future technology but a practical solution that can create real value in current manufacturing settings.

Samsung Electronics is also accelerating the automation of semiconductor manufacturing processes by operating 50 of its self-developed humanoid robots, ‘Samsung Bot Handy,’ at its Pyeongtaek semiconductor plant. Samsung invested 1.2 trillion won in robot technology development in 2024, a 40% increase from the previous year. Notably, Samsung’s humanoid robots are not intended to completely replace human workers in existing cleanroom environments but are operated in a manner that collaborates with humans in specific processes requiring high precision. This illustrates that the core value of humanoid robots lies in extending and complementing human capabilities rather than merely replacing labor.

Global Competition and Technological Innovation

In the global humanoid robot market, Korean companies are fiercely competing with American and Japanese firms. According to IDC’s third-quarter 2025 report, Boston Dynamics currently leads the manufacturing humanoid robot market with a 28% share, followed by Japan’s Honda (based in Tokyo) with 22%, and Korea’s Hyundai Robotics with 18%. However, in terms of growth rate, Korean companies are showing overwhelming superiority. Hyundai Robotics saw a 156% increase in revenue compared to 2024, and LG Electronics’ robotics division also recorded 87% growth.

From a technological perspective, the key performance indicators for current manufacturing humanoid robots are accuracy, durability, and the ability to collaborate with humans. Boston Dynamics’ Atlas boasts a 99.7% work accuracy and a continuous operation time of 16 hours, excelling particularly in dynamic balance and mobility on complex terrains. In contrast, Hyundai Robotics’ humanoid robots are strong in precision manipulation, achieving stable performance even in tasks requiring 0.1mm precision. Japan’s Honda’s ASIMO successor, E2-DR, is specialized in disaster response capabilities, drawing attention for safety management in manufacturing environments.

Notably, the integration of AI and machine learning technologies marks significant technological progress. Tesla (based in Texas) unveiled Optimus Gen-2 at the end of 2024, equipped with a large language model (LLM) capable of understanding natural language commands and performing complex tasks. This robot is currently being pilot-operated at Tesla’s Fremont plant, with initial tests showing a work learning speed five times faster than existing industrial robots. Tesla announced plans to deploy 1,000 Optimus units in its factories by the end of 2025, which is expected to be a significant milestone in the mass commercialization of humanoid robots.

China is also experiencing rapid growth in this field. UBTech Robotics, based in Shanghai, went public on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2024, raising $1.5 billion, and began mass production of its manufacturing humanoid robot, Walker-S. Priced at $80,000 per unit, Walker-S is 30-40% cheaper than competing products while delivering sufficient performance for basic manufacturing tasks. The Chinese government announced plans to invest $50 billion over the next five years in its 2025 robot industry development plan, with a significant portion focused on humanoid robot technology development.

Economic Impact and Market Outlook

The economic ripple effects of humanoid robots’ introduction into manufacturing are far more extensive than anticipated. According to the latest analysis by the McKinsey Global Institute, the full-scale commercialization of humanoid robots is expected to improve global manufacturing productivity by 15-25% by 2030. In particular, in Korea, the contribution of robot technology to manufacturing GDP is projected to surge from the current 2.3% to 8.7% by 2030, translating to an annual economic value creation of approximately 28 trillion won. This is expected to simultaneously lead to the creation of new jobs and the advancement of existing tasks.

From an investment perspective, the humanoid robot market is receiving unprecedented attention. In 2024 alone, global humanoid robot startups raised a total of $3.4 billion in investment, a 187% increase from the previous year. Notably, Figure AI (based in California) secured $675 million in Series B funding from OpenAI, Microsoft, NVIDIA, and others, recognizing a company valuation of $2.6 billion. In Korea, Hyundai Motor Group invested a total of 210 billion won in eight robot startups over the past year through a robotics-focused investment fund, with more than half of these being humanoid robot-related companies.

Analyzing the adoption costs for manufacturers, the purchase price of a high-performance humanoid robot currently ranges from $150,000 to $250,000 per unit. However, when calculated as the total cost of ownership (TCO) including three years of operating costs, it amounts to 60-70% of annual labor costs. According to Goldman Sachs’ analysis, by around 2027, this cost is expected to decrease to 40-50% compared to human workers, significantly enhancing the economic feasibility of humanoid robots. Particularly considering their ability to operate continuously for 24 hours and maintain consistent quality without vacation or sick leave, the actual cost efficiency is even higher.

However, there are still challenges to overcome in the proliferation of humanoid robots. The biggest issue is the burden of initial adoption costs. For small and medium-sized manufacturers, the total cost required to introduce a single robot amounts to 300-500 million won, posing difficulties in funding. To address this, the Korean government plans to support up to 70% of the robot adoption costs for SMEs through the ‘Smart Manufacturing Robot Adoption Support Project’ in 2025, allocating a total budget of 500 billion won. Additionally, the spread of robot leasing and subscription service models is creating an environment where companies can adopt humanoid robots without an initial burden.

Technical limitations also remain. Currently, the average battery life of humanoid robots is 8-12 hours, requiring charging infrastructure and shift systems for 24-hour continuous operation. Moreover, their ability to respond to unexpected situations or creatively solve problems is still not on par with human workers. However, these limitations are rapidly improving with technological advancements, particularly with the development of AI technology, continuously enhancing the learning and adaptability of robots.

The key factors driving the growth of the humanoid robot market over the next five years will be standardization and ecosystem building. Currently, safety standards and interoperability standards for humanoid robots are being developed, centered around IEEE and ISO, with Korea actively participating in this process. The Korea Robotics Industry Association announced plans to complete domestic humanoid robot standards by the end of 2025 and lead global standardization based on these. Such standardization is expected to accelerate market expansion by increasing compatibility between robots and reducing maintenance costs.

In conclusion, as of 2025, humanoid robots have established themselves as practical business solutions in the manufacturing industry, beyond mere experimental technology. The combination of aggressive investment and technology development by Korean companies and policy support from the government is rapidly enhancing competitiveness in the global market. The next 3-5 years are expected to be a period of full-scale growth for the humanoid robot market, with attention on whether Korea can secure global leadership during this process. Particularly as it aligns with the era’s challenges of digital transformation in manufacturing and achieving carbon neutrality, humanoid robots are emerging as a key driver leading changes across the entire industrial ecosystem, beyond mere technological innovation.

*This analysis is based on publicly available market data and industry reports and should not be used as a basis for investment decisions. Projections may change with technological advancements and market conditions.*