South Korea Imposes Temporary Ban on Chinese AI Startup DeepSeek Over Security Concerns
South Korea’s Ministry of Industry has imposed a temporary ban on the use of Chinese artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek due to security concerns. A government official stated on Wednesday that authorities have urged caution regarding the use of AI services, according to a report by Reuters.
Following the government directive, several organizations, including Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, have ceased using DeepSeek and other AI services. The Ministry of Defense has blocked DeepSeek on computers used for military operations, while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has restricted AI service access on computers connected to external networks.
Meanwhile, Australia and Taiwan have also banned DeepSeek on government devices, and Italy’s data protection agency ordered the suspension of its chatbot in January. Countries including the United States, Europe, and India are currently assessing the risks associated with DeepSeek’s usage.
South Korea’s tech companies are also exercising caution regarding AI usage. Kakao Corporation has advised its employees to be vigilant when using DeepSeek, while Naver has instructed its workforce to refrain from using AI services that store data externally. SK Hynix has also permitted only limited use of the service.
DeepSeek claims that its latest AI model is “on par with or superior to U.S. technology” and is produced at a “comparatively lower cost.” However, due to security concerns, governments and organizations worldwide remain cautious about its deployment.
