South Korea will invest 50.4 billion won ($33.5 million) over the next five years to develop core technologies needed in artificial intelligence-based humanoid robots with universities and local tech companies, the science ministry said Monday.The Ministry of Science and ICT held the inaugural meeting of the buildup project at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology in Seoul, the ministry said. Visitors take pictures of a humanoid robot dancing inside the COEX convention center in southern Seoul, in this file photo taken April 7, 2026. (Yonhap) The program, led by KIST and set to run until 2030, is part of the government's "K-Moonshot" initiative announced early this year, aimed at integrating AI into research and development of sciences and technologies.Under the plan, LG Electronics Inc. and WIRobotics, a local wearable robot startup, will develop advanced robot platforms and humanoid robot models that can be produced on a mass-scale.Research institutions, including major local universities and LG AI Research, will take part in the development of an AI model that can enable humanoid robots to comprehensively understand visual, physical, verbal and behavioral information.Solid-state batteries developed by LG Energy Solution Ltd. will be used in the robots.Robots developed under the project will be tested at hospitals and other nursing facilities to verify their ability to perform long-term and complex tasks needed to support humans, the ministry added."The project will mark the starting point in establishing an AI humanoid platform that represents South Korea," the ministry said, vowing to double down on efforts to take the leadership role in the global AI humanoid robot market. (Yonhap)