South Korean ministries block AI startup DeepSeek over security concerns

Thursday 06 February 2025 - 16:36

South Korea's Ministry of Industry has temporarily restricted employee access to DeepSeek, a Chinese artificial intelligence startup, citing security risks. This move follows government warnings urging caution with generative AI services, including DeepSeek and other platforms. State-run Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power also restricted DeepSeek's use earlier this month.

The Ministry of Defense has banned access to DeepSeek on computers designated for military use, while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has limited access on computers connected to external networks. The exact security measures taken by these ministries have not been disclosed. DeepSeek has not responded to requests for comment.

This restriction follows similar actions by other governments. Australia and Taiwan recently banned DeepSeek on government devices, citing security concerns. Italy’s data protection authority ordered DeepSeek to halt its chatbot service in January after the company failed to address privacy concerns. Several other countries, including the U.S. and India, are investigating the risks associated with DeepSeek’s use.

South Korea's information privacy watchdog plans to inquire how DeepSeek handles personal user data. The launch of DeepSeek’s latest AI models has garnered attention in the tech world, with the company claiming that its models rival or surpass U.S. products at a significantly lower cost.

In response to security fears, South Korean tech companies such as Kakao Corp, SK Hynix, and Naver have restricted or limited their employees' use of generative AI services, particularly those that store data externally.