Korean Media: China Dominates Humanoid Robot Patents, South Korea’s Share Remains Single-Digit
On November 13, Korean media outlet Edaily published an article stating that the number of core patents in humanoid robotics developed by China has grown rapidly, while South Korea’s patent competitiveness has declined. In the first half of this year, South Korea accounted for only 4.6% of global humanoid robot patents, compared to China’s 60.8%. In terms of application volume, China submitted 45 times more patent applications than South Korea.
According to data from the Korean Intellectual Property Office, among the five major jurisdictions—South Korea, the United States, China, the European Union, and Japan—South Korea’s share of humanoid robot patents is projected to reach 4.6% by mid-2026.
South Korea’s patent share has been declining annually: from 6.3% in 2024 to 5.2% in 2025, and further dropping to 4.6% in the first half of this year. Meanwhile, China’s share rose from 51.8% to 60.8%. The United States saw its share decline from 27.3% in 2024 to 21.8% in the first half of this year, though it remains around 20%.
The disparity is even more pronounced in application volume. In the first half of this year, China filed 1,584 patent applications related to humanoid robots—approximately 45 times the number filed by South Korea (35). The United States submitted 113 applications. In 2023, China filed 2,573 applications, significantly surpassing South Korea’s 97 and the United States’ 640.
Even in the field of robotic foundational models—often referred to as the “brain” of humanoid robots—South Korea’s patent share has consistently remained in single digits. Data from the first half of this year show South Korea held 8.8%, while China accounted for a dominant 66.3%, with the United States at 14.1%.
The technological gap between South Korea and China has also reversed. According to assessments by the Korea Institute of Science and Technology Evaluation, if the highest-performing nation—the United States—is assigned a score of 100, South Korea scored 85.0 in advanced autonomous control technology in 2022, outperforming China’s 79.0. By 2024, China’s score had risen to 90.0, while South Korea’s dropped to 80.0.
A similar trend emerged in human-robot interaction technology. In 2022, South Korea led slightly with 85.0 points against China’s 84.0. By 2024, however, the situation reversed: China reached 90.0 points, while South Korea fell to 80.0.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1881742510308359/
Disclaimer: This article reflects the personal views of the author.