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On the 27th, the Financial Times (FT) reported that while robot waiters are widely used in South Korean restaurants and establishments, the reality is that around 70 percent of them are imported from China. The article stated that the South Korean government’s policy of providing subsidies to robot waiters regardless of their country of manufacture has ultimately led to the erosion of the market by Chinese products.
The FT’s article titled “Chinese Robot Waiters Fuel Korean Anxiety over Labour Shortages” mentioned that robot waiters are “seen as key to alleviating labour shortages in a country with the world’s lowest birth rate,” but also pointed out that the market has been dominated by Chinese robots, posing a threat to the South Korea’s domestic robotics industry. The FT noted that “an influx of cheap Chinese robot waiters has provoked anxiety in South Korea.”
According to the Korea Association of Robot Industry, around 5,000 robot waiters were supplied in South Korea last year, marking a 67 percent increase compared to the previous year. It is expected that the number of robot waiters will increase to 10,000 units this year. The market size for robot waiters is projected to grow from $530 million (approximately ￦700 billion) in 2021 to $1 billion in 2026. Amid wage increases and the COVID-19 pandemic, the adoption of robot waiters is rapidly expanding.
However, it is estimated that around 70 percent of these robots are produced by Chinese companies. The major advantage of Chinese-made robots lies in their competitive pricing. Chinese robot waiters are up to 20 percent cheaper than domestically produced ones, with a cost ranging from ￦10 million to 30 million per unit. China utilizes its domestically manufactured parts, while South Korea imports components from countries such as Japan, the United States, Germany, and China, resulting in higher production costs. The FT noted that the South Korean government’s policy prioritizing the distribution of robots over safeguarding domestic industries has also contributed to the dominance of Chinese-made products. The FT mentioned, “The Korean government offers buyers state funding worth up to 70 percent of the purchase price of a robot waiter, regardless of its origin,” and pointed out that “unlike the U.S., South Korea does not impose tariffs on imported Chinese robots.”
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