Korea unveils 1st defense AI center to power next-generation combat systems

The Ministry of National Defense inaugurated an artificial intelligence research center Monday at Pangyo Techno Valley south of Seoul. The facility will train humanoid and multilegged robots for mine clearance, explosive ordnance disposal and hazardous chemical reconnaissance. It is the first of five planned regional defense AI hubs, established with Ajou University to connect military, academic and industry research. The initiative aims to address Korea’s shrinking pool of military-age conscripts while reducing human risks.

The opening event led by Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul brought together roughly 150 officials from government agencies, universities and defense companies.

The Pangyo center will focus on hardware-software integration and collect physical operational data for robotic systems.

A planned Yongsan hub will use classified military data for command-and-control applications, while the Daejeon center will target agentic AI with support from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology.

Planned hubs in Busan and Yangjae will specialize in maritime logistics and automated target recognition for the Air Force.

The Defense Ministry plans to expand joint research across all five hubs and connect civilian software and robotics development with frontline military applications.

Published Oct 12, 2026 3:58 pm KST

Updated Oct 12, 2026 11:50 pm KST

Minister of National Defense Kang Shin-chul delivers a welcoming speech during the opening ceremony of a defense AI transformation hub at Pangyo Techno Valley in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, Monday. Courtesy of Ministry of National Defense

The Ministry of National Defense inaugurated a physical artificial intelligence (AI) research center Monday at Pangyo Techno Valley — a sprawling high-tech hub south of Seoul often hailed as Korea's Silicon Valley for its heavy concentration of tech giants, startups, and advanced research facilities.

The opening marks the start of an ambitious national project to train humanoid robots and autonomous machines for high-risk military missions, such as mine clearance, explosive ordnance disposal and hazardous chemical reconnaissance.

Led by Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul, the launch event brought together roughly 150 officials from government agencies, academic institutions and defense industries, including representatives from the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Presidential National AI Committee.

Operated in partnership with Ajou University, the Pangyo facility is the first of five specialized regional defense AI hubs planned across the nation. While Pangyo will focus on hardware-software integration — collecting physical operational data to train humanoid and multilegged robots for dangerous field tasks — subsequent centers will tackle other cutting-edge applications.

A facility in Yongsan in central Seoul will focus on command-and-control applications using classified military data, while a site in Daejeon, in the central part of the country, supported by the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, will target agentic AI. Additional centers in the southern port city of Busan and Yangjae in southern Seoul will specialize in maritime logistics and automated target recognition for the Air Force.

The initiative comes at a critical juncture for Korea’s armed forces.

Facing severe demographic shifts and a rapidly shrinking pool of military-age conscripts, the armed forces are increasingly turning to autonomous hardware to sustain operational readiness, minimize human casualties and modernize their defense posture against evolving regional threats.

"The defense AI hubs are spaces where field experience from our armed forces meets the technology and wisdom of academia and industry," Kang said during the opening ceremony. "Rapid technological advances have created a battlefield where what we think actually exists. These centers are our first step into that era."

The defense ministry said it plans to expand joint research programs across all five hubs, creating an integrated ecosystem that translates civilian software and robotics directly onto the front lines.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.

韩国国防部周一在首尔以南的板桥科技谷正式启用人工智能研究中心。该中心将训练人形机器人和多足机器人，用于排雷、爆炸物处理和危险化学品侦察。这是韩国国防部与亚洲大学合作建立的五个区域性国防人工智能中心中的第一个，旨在连接军事、学术和产业研究。该计划旨在解决韩国适龄兵源日益减少的问题，同时降低人为风险。

由国防部长康信哲主持的开幕式汇聚了来自政府机构、大学和国防企业的约 150 名官员。

板桥中心将专注于硬件软件集成，并收集机器人系统的物理运行数据。

计划中的龙山中心将利用机密军事数据进行指挥控制应用，而大田中心将在韩国科学技术院的支持下，致力于智能体人工智能的研究。

计划在釜山和良才建立的枢纽将专门从事海上物流和空军的自动化目标识别。

国防部计划扩大在所有五个中心开展联合研究，并将民用软件和机器人开发与一线军事应用联系起来。

发布于2026年10月12日下午3:58（韩国标准时间）

更新于2026年10月12日晚上11:50（韩国标准时间）

韩国国防部长官姜信哲周一在京畿道城南市板桥科技谷举行的国防人工智能转型中心开幕仪式上致欢迎辞。图片由韩国国防部提供

韩国国防部周一在板桥科技谷（位于首尔以南的一个庞大的高科技中心，因其聚集了大量科技巨头、初创企业和先进研究设施，常被誉为韩国的硅谷）落成了一个实体人工智能（AI）研究中心。

此次开幕标志着一项雄心勃勃的国家计划的开始，该计划旨在训练人形机器人和自主机器执行高风险军事任务，例如排雷、爆炸物处理和危险化学侦察。

在国防部长康信哲的带领下，此次启动活动汇聚了来自政府机构、学术机构和国防工业的约 150 名官员，其中包括科学技术信息通信部和总统国家人工智能委员会的代表。

板桥基地由韩国政府与亚洲大学合作运营，是韩国计划在全国范围内建设的五个专业区域性国防人工智能中心中的第一个。板桥基地将专注于软硬件集成——收集物理运行数据，以训练人形机器人和多足机器人执行危险的野外任务——而后续的中心将致力于其他前沿应用。

位于首尔市中心龙山的设施将专注于利用机密军事数据开发指挥控制应用，而位于韩国中部大田的设施（由韩国科学技术院支持）则将致力于开发智能体人工智能。此外，位于南部港口城市釜山和首尔南部良才的另外两个中心将分别专注于为空军提供海上物流和自动化目标识别方面的服务。

这项举措出台之际，正值韩国军队面临关键时刻。

面对严峻的人口结构变化和适龄征兵人数的迅速减少，武装部队正越来越多地转向自主硬件，以维持作战准备状态，最大限度地减少人员伤亡，并使防御态势现代化，以应对不断演变的区域威胁。

康在开幕式上表示：“国防人工智能中心是将我军的实战经验与学术界和产业界的科技智慧相结合的场所。技术的飞速发展创造了一个全新的战场，我们所设想的现实已经真实存在。这些中心是我们迈入这个时代的第一步。”

国防部表示，计划在所有五个中心扩大联合研究项目，创建一个综合生态系统，将民用软件和机器人技术直接应用于前线。

本文由生成式人工智能协助发布，并由《韩国时报》编辑。