South Korea’s Ministry of Trade Industry and Energy has temporarily blocked employee access to Chinese artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek citing security concerns A ministry official confirmed this on Wednesday The move comes as the South Korean government urges public sector organizations to exercise caution when using generative AI services
Government Calls for Caution on AI Use
On Tuesday the government issued an advisory to all ministries and agencies warning against the use of AI platforms such as DeepSeek and ChatGPT in official work environments While DeepSeek has faced immediate restrictions it remains unclear whether similar actions have been taken against OpenAI’s ChatGPT
State-run Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power had already blocked access to DeepSeek earlier this month while the Ministry of National Defense has now restricted its use on military-designated computers The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has imposed similar restrictions on computers connected to external networks according to reports from Yonhap News Agency However the foreign ministry declined to disclose further details on its specific security measures
DeepSeek has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding these restrictions
Global Concerns Over DeepSeek’s Security Risks
South Korea now joins a growing list of governments tightening restrictions on DeepSeek due to security and privacy concerns Australia and Taiwan have recently imposed outright bans on the use of DeepSeek across all government devices citing potential security threats posed by the Chinese AI firm
In Italy the national data protection authority ordered DeepSeek to suspend its chatbot services earlier this year following the company’s failure to address privacy concerns Meanwhile government agencies in Europe the United States and India are also evaluating the potential risks associated with using DeepSeek’s AI technology
Korean Tech Firms Strengthen AI Restrictions
The private sector in South Korea is also responding cautiously to DeepSeek’s rise Tech giant Kakao Corp has advised its employees against using DeepSeek due to security concerns despite its recent partnership announcement with OpenAI
Similarly SK Hynix a leading AI chipmaker has implemented restrictions on generative AI usage only allowing limited access when deemed necessary Web portal giant Naver has also directed employees to avoid using AI platforms that store data externally reinforcing concerns over data security and privacy risks
DeepSeek’s Rise in the AI Industry
DeepSeek made headlines last month when it unveiled its latest AI models claiming performance on par with or superior to leading US-developed AI systems all at a fraction of the cost The company’s rapid growth and ambitious claims have sent ripples through the global AI landscape raising questions about China’s increasing influence in the field
Meanwhile South Korea’s Personal Information Protection Commission is preparing to engage with DeepSeek to assess how the startup manages user data a step that could further impact the AI firm’s expansion in the region
As AI technology continues to evolve governments and corporations worldwide are treading carefully to balance innovation with national security and data privacy concerns
