South Korea’s software industry says domestic rules and ordering practices remain stuck in the system integration era despite the rapid spread of AI. Speakers at a digital policy forum called for urgent reforms, citing public and financial-sector network separation, a labour-input pricing system and service-centric public procurement as barriers. Participants urged a shift to logical security, support for token costs and faster procedures, and called for value-based pricing that reflects computing and infrastructure costs.

Industry efforts to move beyond large language models into engineering and physical AI are gaining traction, spanning semiconductor design, 3D modelling of products and robot operations. Cooperation among companies is increasing as interest in AI-led manufacturing innovation grows, and startups are accelerating their moves. The article rounds up recent product launches, investments and partnerships, including tools for design, automation, coding, enterprise productivity and AI security in South Korea and abroad.