S. Korea's robot market nearly doubles in 2010

SEOUL, July 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's market for robots nearly doubled last year from a year ago as demand for all types of robots, including manufacturing robots and military robots, zoomed, the government said Tuesday.
Sales of the robot industry reached 1.93 trillion won (US$1.82 billion) in 2010, up 97.3 percent from 980 billion won in 2009, according to the Ministry of Knowledge Economy. Production of the country's robot industry also increased 74.9 percent on-year to 1.78 trillion won.
The manufacturing industry led the growth of the robot industry as production of manufacturing robots, including robots used in assembly lines or at loading docks, jumped 69.5 percent from 2009 to 1.41 trillion won.
Output of service robots, such as medical or military robots, spiked more than six fold from 15 billion won in 2009 to over 99 billion won last year, according to the ministry.
Production of robot parts and components, however, dropped 9.1 percent to 10.3 billion won on leftover stock from 2009.
The number of local companies engaged in robotics reached 343, up 83 from the previous year, the ministry said.
Their total exports jumped 137.3 percent to 228.9 billion won, but they still posted a trade deficit of 43.9 billion won as their imports also surged 87.5 percent to 272.8 billion won.
Meanwhile, the ministry said the country's robot industry will further grow in the future as a new law on the robot industry passed the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
"The law allows the establishment of a new state council to help promote the development and use of robots," it said.