Daedong participated in a forum held at the National Assembly on Tuesday to discuss the development of a robot farm factory in Saemangeum, North Jeolla Province. Attendees pose for a photo after the forum, from fifth from left: Park Tae-jun, a Hanyang University professor; Song Ho-deuk, a Hyundai Motor Group executive director; Won Yu-hyun, vice chairman of Daedong Group; Park Ji-won, a Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker; Lee Won-taek, governor of North Jeolla Province; and Jeong Seong-ju, mayor of Gimje. [Daedong]
Daedong participated in a forum held at the National Assembly on Tuesday to discuss the development of a robot farm factory in Saemangeum, North Jeolla Province. Attendees pose for a photo after the forum, from fifth from left: Park Tae-jun, a Hanyang University professor; Song Ho-deuk, a Hyundai Motor Group executive director; Won Yu-hyun, vice chairman of Daedong Group; Park Ji-won, a Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker; Lee Won-taek, governor of North Jeolla Province; and Jeong Seong-ju, mayor of Gimje. [Daedong]

Saemangeum robot farm factory plan discussed at National Assembly forum

300 billion won earmarked for 2027–2031; agricultural robots to be built, trained and field-tested on site

Daedong Group expands agricultural physical AI business; DaedongGear also pursues robot parts development

Shares of agricultural machinery maker Daedong and its affiliate DaedongGear surged Wednesday after news emerged that Daedong Group had joined Hyundai Motor Group in discussions over a 300 billion won ($224 million) Saemangeum Robot Farm Factory project, fueling expectations of a major expansion into agricultural robotics.

According to industry sources, a forum to advance the Saemangeum Robot Farm Factory initiative was held Tuesday at the National Assembly members' office building. The event, hosted by Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Park Ji-won and co-organized by North Jeolla Province and Gimje, drew about 30 participants, including representatives from Hyundai Motor Group, Daedong Group, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and academic and research institutions.

At the forum, participants presented a plan to build an industrial complex in the Saemangeum area where agricultural robots could be manufactured, trained and field-tested under one roof. The core concept is to develop farm-specific robots, accumulate operational data on actual farms and translate that into commercial products.

The project envisions investing a total of 300 billion won in a 21-hectare site in Gimje, North Jeolla Province, within the Saemangeum zone, with funding running from 2027 to 2031. The proposed financing structure calls for 180 billion won in national government funds, 60 billion won from local governments and 60 billion won in private capital. The breakdown allocates 120 billion won to a "Demo Dark Factory" — an unmanned robot production facility — 80 billion won to a "Robot Farm Data Factory," and 100 billion won to a 16-hectare demonstration complex.

Daedong Group Executive Director Chung Ju-yung presented the project's direction under the theme "Farming Built by Robots: The Robot Farm Factory." Hyundai Motor Group Executive Director Song Ho-deuk outlined a strategy for building a robot ecosystem in Saemangeum. Daedong Group Vice Chairman Won Yu-hyun also attended the forum.

The project could be linked to Hyundai Motor Group's Saemangeum investment plan announced in February, under which the group said it would invest around 9 trillion won to build an AI data center, robot manufacturing facilities and hydrogen production infrastructure in the zone. However, the investment amounts by individual companies and the specific division of roles for the robot farm factory project have yet to be finalized.

Daedong has been expanding into AI tractors and agricultural robotics on the back of its farm equipment manufacturing business. At its "2026 Daedong Tech Day" held in April, the company unveiled an AI tractor and an autonomous transport robot, and announced a strategy to shift from machinery sales toward a data- and service-based agricultural operations business.

DaedongGear has also moved into robot components. In April, the company launched a rights offering of about 80 billion won and disclosed an investment plan targeting electric vehicle and robot parts. It plans to develop reducers and actuators for robots by drawing on its existing transmission and precision machining expertise.

A Daedong official said the robot farm factory to be built in Saemangeum would be an advanced facility managed entirely by robots. "With the collaboration with Hyundai Motor now confirmed, it appears that rising expectations are driving the sharp jump in our share price," the official said.

As of 9:45 a.m. Wednesday, DaedongGear's share price had hit the daily upper limit, while Daedong was up more than 17 percent.


hong@heraldcorp.com