South Korea blocks Chinese AI DeepSeek from government computers

Defence and trade ministries cite concerns over data privacy following similar moves by Italy and Australia

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South Korea’s defence and trade ministries have blocked access to DeepSeek AI services from government devices. Photo: Reuters

Published: 10:44am, 6 Feb 2025Updated: 12:52am, 7 Feb 2025

South Korea’s defence and trade ministries said on Thursday they had blocked DeepSeek’s access to work computers, following a request from the country’s data watchdog for the Chinese artificial intelligence start-up to clarify how it managed user information.

DeepSeek launched its R1 chatbot last month, claiming it matches the capacity of AI pacesetters in the United States for a fraction of the investment.

South Korea, along with countries such as France and Italy, has asked questions about DeepSeek’s data practices, submitting a written request for information about how the company handles user information.

Seoul’s defence ministry said on Thursday it had blocked DeepSeek from military computers connected to the internet, while the trade ministry said that access had been temporarily restricted on all PCs within the agency.

“Access to DeepSeek from military work computers has been blocked,” a defence ministry spokesperson told This Week in Asia.

“The ministry has reinforced security precautions regarding the use of generative AI and implemented necessary pre-emptive measures for military personnel’s work devices.”