Kim Hwan, head of marketing at Dreame Korea, outlines the company’s security policies during the Chinese home appliance maker’s “Dreame in Seoul” media event at Gavit Island on the Han River in Seocho-gu, Seoul, Friday. (Yonhap) Chinese home appliance maker Dreame Technology said Friday it plans to expand beyond robot vacuum cleaners in South Korea, positioning the country as a key market for premium small appliances and artificial intelligence-powered smart-home products.At a brand launch event in Seoul, Dreame said it will build a localized product ecosystem spanning personal care, kitchen and living appliances, using robot vacuums as its entry point.“Korea is more than a sales market,” Mun Duck-geun, managing director of Korea sales at Dreame, said, citing consumers’ high standards for technology and product experience, rapid adoption of new products and the country’s influence on broader consumer trends.The company also pointed to Korea’s high apartment-residence rate and digitally connected consumer environment as well suited to its smart-home strategy.Data security is another part of its localization push. Dreame said it has moved Korean users’ data to a data center in Korea and applies safeguards including two-factor authentication to protect account information, images and video collected through its devices.“For us, localization is not simply about entering the Korean market. It is about understanding what Korean consumers value and building the foundation for sustainable growth,” said Kim Hwan, head of marketing at Dreame Korea. “That includes not only developing products that better fit Korean homes, but also making sure consumers can trust how their personal data is protected.”Dreame said about 70 percent of its workforce is engaged in research and development and that it invests roughly 7 percent of revenue in R&D, with a focus on technologies such as robotic arms, AI-based obstacle recognition and threshold-climbing systems.The company did not disclose detailed Korea revenue or operating profit figures. It said, however, that its sales in the Asia-Pacific region, including Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, have been growing by about 66 percent annually.Globally, Dreame ranked No. 1 in premium robot vacuum sales in 2025, according to Euromonitor International, and topped the global smart robot vacuum market in both unit sales and revenue in the first quarter of 2026, according to IDC. The company said that cumulative robot vacuum shipments have surpassed 11 million units.Dreame on Thursday launched the Aqua 20 Ultra Roller, a robot vacuum that sprays steam heated to 180 degrees Celsius before using a hot-water roller mop to remove loosened dirt.The model also offers a roller module that extends up to 8 centimeters for edge cleaning, AI-powered obstacle detection, 40,000-pascal suction power and the ability to clear double-layer thresholds of up to 10 centimeters. Its docking station automatically washes, empties and dries the unit.Dreame said it is also strengthening after-sales service in Korea through about 60 authorized service centers and repair reception at more than 310 Lotte Mart stores nationwide.