Korea Business Review · Section
RESEARCH NOTES
Premium
KBR Research Notes
Where Does South Korea's Humanoid Robot Technology Stand?
In the first half of 2026, South Korea's humanoid robot industry moved beyond exhibition demos into actual industrial site validation stages. Hyundai Motor Group showcased its fully electric Atlas at CES 2026 and presented a mass production roadmap aiming for phased deployment in U.S. plants starting in 2028. Multiple media outlets reported that Rainbow Robotics' mobile dual-arm robot RB-Y1, for which Samsung Electronics is the largest shareholder, has been deployed to Coupang logistics centers for pilot testing. Meanwhile, the government aims to invest over 1 trillion won through the K-Humanoid Alliance by 2030, targeting the development of a robot AI foundation model by 2028 and mass production of over 1,000 units annually by 2029. Strategies among major conglomerates also clearly diverge, with LG Electronics targeting a separate front in home-use humanoids. However, while hardware competitiveness is approaching global levels, AI software (physical AI) remains in a chasing phase behind the U.S. and China, leaving South Korea with the challenge of combining verified hardware with smarter brains and turning field tests into actual revenue.
최수진 기자 · 06/19/2026
Read more →
KBR Research Notes
How Much Do We Spend on AI Subscriptions a Month? "One in Four Users Are Paid Subscribers"
김민경 책임기자 · 06/15/2026
KBR Research Notes
100 Days of the Hormuz Blockade: Can South Korea's 200 Days of Strategic Reserves Hold Out, and When Will Oil Prices Stabilize?
김민경 책임기자 · 06/11/2026
KBR Research Notes
One in Three Imported Cars is a Tesla: The 'EV Craze' Rocking the 2026 Auto Market
김민경 책임기자 · 06/09/2026
KBR Research Notes
"Searches Increased, But Clicks Disappeared": The 20-Year Traffic Economy Shaken by Zero-Click
이태민 책임기자 · 06/08/2026
KBR Research Notes
Retirement Age for 40s and 50s is Accelerating — The Shock of the 60-Year Legal Retirement Age vs. the Reality of Retirement at 52.9
Although the legal retirement age is 60, the actual retirement clock stops much earlier. As of May 2026, South Korea's labor market shows a stark contrast between appearances and reality. According to employment trends for March 2026 released by the Statistics Korea (National Data Agency) on April 15, 2026, the overall employment rate hit 62.7%, marking a record high for the month of March since monthly statistics began in 1982.
KBR 편집부 · 05/10/2026
KBR Research Notes
Where Do Startup Funds Ultimately Flow? A Complete Anatomy of Labor Costs, R&D, and AI Infrastructure
This structure, consisting of 45% labor costs and 30% R&D, reflects early-stage startups' decisions to secure technological superiority over growth first. The Whereabouts of $425 Billion In 2025, the global venture capital market poured a total of $425 billion (approx. 580 trillion KRW) into the startup ecosystem over the course of the year.
KBR 편집부 · 05/07/2026
KBR Research Notes
Kia Surpasses Hyundai for the First Time in 28 Years in Domestic Sales... Tesla Era Begins for Imported Cars
Kia recorded its highest-ever first-quarter sales in the global market in the first quarter of 2026, breaking into the 4% range for the first time with a 4.1% global market share. A major shift in the market landscape: Two 'historical events' in the spring of 2026 simultaneously set two historical records in the domestic automobile market.
강지혜 기자 · 05/07/2026
KBR Research Notes
The Era of 1.16 Million One-Person Businesses: Becoming a Company All by Yourself
Over the past decade, the formula for starting a business was simple: you needed a team, investors, and an office. That formula is now quietly but rapidly breaking down. People who build, operate, and create billions of won in enterprise value entirely on their own are beginning to appear in official statistics.
이지영 기자 · 05/06/2026
KBR Research Notes
April 2026: The Boardroom in Motion — A Comprehensive Analysis of Global and Domestic CEO Succession Landscapes
April 2026 was a notably dense month from a corporate governance perspective. Apple announced a CEO change for the first time in 15 years, and the new CEO of global energy major BP embarked on a massive restructuring from day one. Domestically, the KT board of directors undertook an unprecedented regulatory amendment to return its own powers.
박소유 기자 · 04/29/2026
