South Korea's military is weighing a strategic partnership with Hyundai Motor Co. to address shrinking troop ranks and is considering deploying robots to operational units.
On May 11, Bloomberg reported the Defense Ministry said it is in talks with Hyundai as part of efforts to adapt to shifting battlefield conditions and build a technology-centered force. The ministry said details have not been finalized.
Earlier, on May 10, the Korea Economic Daily, citing military and industry sources, reported the Army is discussing robotics cooperation with Hyundai. According to the report, the service is considering robots for noncombat roles such as surveillance, reconnaissance and logistics.
Candidates for deployment include ▲Boston Dynamics' four‑legged robot Spot, ▲the four‑wheeled mobile robot MobED, and ▲the wearable platform X‑ble Shoulder.
Bloomberg said Hyundai declined to comment.
The talks come as South Korea confronts a steep population decline that is eroding its ability to sustain troop levels. With North Korea increasing its nuclear and missile threats, Seoul is shifting from a manpower‑centric force toward a technology‑driven military to reshape how it would fight future wars.
Active‑duty personnel have fallen about 20% over the past six years amid low birth rates and now number roughly 450,000. The Defense Ministry projects the force will drop to about 350,000 by 2040.
Bloomberg also noted a military contract could be a turning point for Hyundai's robotics business. Ester Im, an analyst at Samsung Securities, told Bloomberg that if Spot—the robot that drew attention for patrols at Mar‑a‑Lago—were deployed to the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), it would demonstrate the technology's versatility beyond commercial and industrial use.
Im said robotics is not constrained by the inertia of traditional industries and can leverage electrical and electronic technologies developed for autonomous vehicles, which should accelerate its adoption.
