South Korea Blocks Access to DeepSeek AI Amid Security Concerns

South Korea ministries, police block DeepSeek access

Seoul (AFP) - South Korean ministries and police said Thursday they were blocking DeepSeek's access to work computers, after the Chinese AI startup did not respond to a data watchdog request about how it manages user information. DeepSeek launched its R1 chatbot last month, claiming it matches the capacity of artificial intelligence pace-setters in the United States for a fraction of the investment, upending the global industry. South Korea, along with countries such as France and Italy, have asked questions about DeepSeek's data practices, submitting a written request for information about how the company handles user information. But after DeepSeek failed to respond to an enquiry from South Korea's data watchdog, a slew of ministries confirmed Thursday they were taking steps to limit access to prevent potential leaks of sensitive information through generative AI services. "Blocking measures for DeepSeek have been implemented specifically for military work-related PCs with Internet," a defence ministry official told AFP. The ministry, which oversees active-duty soldiers deployed against the nuclear-armed North, has also "reiterated the security precautions regarding the use of generative AI for each unit and soldier, taking into account security and technical concerns," it added. South Korea's police told AFP they had blocked access to DeepSeek, while the trade ministry said that access had been temporarily restricted on all its PCs. The trade ministry said it took the move as DeepSeek "has not responded to The Personal Information Protection Commission's inquiry." The country's finance ministry also told AFP it had "implemented measures to prohibit the leakage of personal and confidential information to DeepSeek for all employees." Bans 'not excessive' Last week, Italy launched an investigation into DeepSeek's R1 model and blocked it from processing Italian users' data. Australia has also banned DeepSeek from all government devices on the advice of security agencies. Kim Jong-hwa, a professor at Cheju Halla University's artificial intelligence department, told AFP that amid growing rivalry between the United States and China he suspected "political factors" could be influencing the reaction to DeepSeek -- but said bans were still justified. "From a technical standpoint, AI models like ChatGPT also face numerous security-related issues that have not yet been fully addressed," he said. "Given that China operates under a communist regime, I question whether they consider security issues as much as OpenAI does when developing innovative technologies," he said. "We cannot currently assess how much attention has been paid to security concerns by DeepSeek when developing its chatbot. Therefore, I believe that taking proactive measures is not too excessive." DeepSeek has said it used less-advanced H800 chips -- permitted for sale to China until 2023 under US export controls -- to power its large learning model. South Korean chip giants Samsung Electronics and SK hynix are key suppliers of advanced chips used in AI servers. The government announced on Wednesday an additional 34 trillion won ($23.5 billion) investment in semiconductors and high-tech industries, with the country's acting president urging Korean tech companies to stay flexible. "Recently, a Chinese company unveiled the AI model DeepSeek R1, which offers high performance at a low cost, making a fresh impact in the market," acting President Choi Sang-mok said Wednesday. "The global AI competition may evolve from a simple infrastructure scale-up rivalry to a more complex competition that includes software capabilities and other factors."

South Korean ministries block DeepSeek on security concerns, officials say

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's industry ministry has temporarily blocked employee access to Chinese artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek due to security concerns, a ministry official said on Wednesday, as the government urges caution on generative AI services. The government issued a notice on Tuesday calling for ministries and agencies to exercise caution about using AI services including DeepSeek and ChatGPT at work, officials said. State-run Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power said it had blocked use of AI services including DeepSeek earlier this month. The defence ministry has also blocked access to DeepSeek on its computers that are for military use, officials said on Thursday. The foreign ministry has restricted access to DeepSeek in computers that connect to external networks, Yonhap News Agency said. The ministry said it cannot confirm specific security measures. DeepSeek did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. It was not immediately clear if the ministries had taken any actions against ChatGPT. The ban makes South Korea the latest government to warn about or place restrictions on DeepSeek. Australia and Taiwan have banned DeepSeek this week from all government devices over concerns that the Chinese artificial intelligence startup poses security risks. Italy's data protection authority ordered DeepSeek in January to block its chatbot in the country after the Chinese startup failed to address the regulator's concerns over its privacy policy. Some other governments in Europe, the U.S. and India are also examining implications of using DeepSeek. South Korea's information privacy watchdog plans to ask DeepSeek about how the personal information of users is managed. Chinese startup DeepSeek's launch of its latest AI models last month sent shockwaves through the tech world. The company says its models are on a par with or better than products developed in the United States and are produced at a fraction of the cost. South Korean chat app operator Kakao Corp has told its employees to refrain from using DeepSeek due to security fears, a spokesperson said on Wednesday, a day after the company announced its partnership with generative artificial intelligence heavyweight OpenAI. Korean tech companies are now being more careful about using generative AI. SK Hynix , a maker of AI chips, has restricted access to generative AI services, and allowed limited use when necessary, a spokesperson said. Naver, a major South Korean web portal, said it had asked employees not to use generative AI services that store data outside the company. (Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin, Joyce Lee, Hyonhee Shin, Hyunsu Yim, Ju-min Park, writing by Ju-min Park; Editing by Kate Mayberry, Alex Richardson, Toby Chopra and Muralikumar Anantharaman)

South Korea ministries, police block DeepSeek access

South Korean ministries and police said Thursday they were blocking DeepSeek's access to work computers, after the Chinese AI startup did not respond to a data watchdog request about how it manages user information. DeepSeek launched its R1 chatbot last month, claiming it matches the capacity of artificial intelligence pace-setters in the United States for a fraction of the investment, upending the global industry. South Korea, along with countries such as France and Italy, have asked questions about DeepSeek's data practices, submitting a written request for information about how the company handles user information. But after DeepSeek failed to respond to an enquiry from South Korea's data watchdog, a slew of ministries confirmed Thursday they were taking steps to limit access to prevent potential leaks of sensitive information through generative AI services. "Blocking measures for DeepSeek have been implemented specifically for military work-related PCs with Internet," a defense ministry official told AFP. The ministry, which oversees active-duty soldiers deployed against the nuclear-armed North, has also "reiterated the security precautions regarding the use of generative AI for each unit and soldier, taking into account security and technical concerns," it added. South Korea's police told AFP they had blocked access to DeepSeek, while the trade ministry said that access had been temporarily restricted on all its PCs. The trade ministry said it took the move as DeepSeek "has not responded to The Personal Information Protection Commission's inquiry." The country's finance ministry also told AFP it had "implemented measures to prohibit the leakage of personal and confidential information to DeepSeek for all employees." Bans 'not excessive' Last week, Italy launched an investigation into DeepSeek's R1 model and blocked it from processing Italian users' data. Australia has also banned DeepSeek from all government devices on the advice of security agencies. Kim Jong-hwa, a professor at Cheju Halla University's artificial intelligence department, told AFP that amid growing rivalry between the United States and China he suspected "political factors" could be influencing the reaction to DeepSeek -- but said bans were still justified. "From a technical standpoint, AI models like ChatGPT also face numerous security-related issues that have not yet been fully addressed," he said. "We cannot currently assess how much attention has been paid to security concerns by DeepSeek when developing its chatbot. Therefore, I believe that taking proactive measures is not too excessive." DeepSeek has said it used less-advanced H800 chips -- permitted for sale to China until 2023 under U.S. export controls -- to power its large learning model. South Korean chip giants Samsung Electronics and SK hynix are key suppliers of advanced chips used in AI servers. The government announced on Wednesday an additional 34 trillion won ($23.5 billion) investment in semiconductors and high-tech industries, with the country's acting president urging Korean tech companies to stay flexible. "Recently, a Chinese company unveiled the AI model DeepSeek R1, which offers high performance at a low cost, making a fresh impact in the market," acting President Choi Sang-mok said Wednesday. "The global AI competition may evolve from a simple infrastructure scale-up rivalry to a more complex competition that includes software capabilities and other factors."

South Korea ministries, police block DeepSeek access

South Korean ministries and police said Thursday they were blocking DeepSeek's access to their computers, after the Chinese AI startup did not respond to a data watchdog request about how it manages user information. DeepSeek launched its R1 chatbot last month, claiming it matches the capacity of artificial intelligence pacesetters in the United States for a fraction of the investment, upending the global industry. South Korea, along with countries such as France and Italy, have asked questions about DeepSeek's data practices, submitting a written request for information about how the company handles user information. But after DeepSeek failed to respond to an enquiry from South Korea's data watchdog, a slew of ministries confirmed Thursday they were taking steps to limit access to prevent potential leaks of sensitive information through generative AI services. "Blocking measures for DeepSeek have been implemented specifically for military work-related PCs with Internet," a defense ministry official told AFP. The ministry, which oversees active-duty soldiers deployed against the nuclear-armed North, has also "reiterated the security precautions regarding the use of generative AI for each unit and soldier, taking into account security and technical concerns", it added. South Korea's police told AFP they had also blocked access to DeepSeek, while the trade ministry said that access had been temporarily restricted on all its PCs. The trade, finance, unification and foreign ministries also all said they had blocked the app or had taken unspecified measures. Bans 'not excessive' Last week, Italy launched an investigation into DeepSeek's R1 model and blocked it from processing Italian users' data. Australia has also banned DeepSeek from all government devices on the advice of security agencies. Kim Jong-hwa, a professor at Cheju Halla University's artificial intelligence department, told AFP that amid growing rivalry between the United States and China he suspected "political factors" could be influencing the reaction to DeepSeek -- but said bans were still justified. "From a technical standpoint, AI models like ChatGPT also face numerous security-related issues that have not yet been fully addressed," he said. "Given that China operates under a communist regime, I question whether they consider security issues as much as OpenAI does when developing innovative technologies," he said. "We cannot currently assess how much attention has been paid to security concerns by DeepSeek when developing its chatbot. Therefore, I believe that taking proactive measures is not too excessive." Beijing on Thursday hit back against the ban, insisting the Chinese government "will never require enterprises or individuals to illegally collect or store data". "China has always opposed the generalization of national security and the politicization of economic, trade and technological issues," foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said. Beijing would also "firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises," Guo vowed. 'Complex competition' DeepSeek says it uses less-advanced H800 chips -- permitted for sale to China until 2023 under US export controls -- to power its large learning model. South Korean chip giants Samsung Electronics and SK hynix are key suppliers of advanced chips used in AI servers. The government announced on Wednesday an additional 34 trillion won ($23.5 billion) investment in semiconductors and high-tech industries, with the country's acting president urging Korean tech companies to stay flexible. "Recently, a Chinese company unveiled the AI model DeepSeek R1, which offers high performance at a low cost, making a fresh impact in the market," acting President Choi Sang-mok said Wednesday. "The global AI competition may evolve from a simple infrastructure scale-up rivalry to a more complex competition that includes software capabilities and other factors."

South Korea ministries block DeepSeek's access

SEOUL (AFP) - South Korea's defence and trade ministries said Thursday they had blocked DeepSeek's access to work computers, following a request from the country's data watchdog for the Chinese AI startup to clarify how it manages user information. DeepSeek launched its R1 chatbot last month, claiming it matches the capacity of artificial intelligence pace-setters in the United States for a fraction of the investment. South Korea, along with countries such as France and Italy, have 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 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. "Blocking measures for DeepSeek have been implemented specifically for military work-related PCs with Internet," a ministry official told AFP. The trade ministry said DeepSeek has not responded to the data watchdog's inquiry. "We have temporarily blocked DeepSeek since it has not responded to The Personal Information Protection Commission's inquiry," a trade ministry official told AFP. Last week, Italy launched an investigation into DeepSeek's R1 model and blocked it from processing Italian users' data. Australia has also banned DeepSeek from all government devices on the advice of security agencies. DeepSeek has said it used less-advanced H800 chips -- permitted for sale to China until 2023 under US export controls -- to power its large learning model. South Korean chip giants Samsung Electronics and SK hynix are key suppliers of advanced chips used in AI servers.

South Korea ministries, police block DeepSeek access

South Korea, along with countries such as France and Italy, have asked questions about DeepSeek's data practices, submitting a written request for information about how the company handles user information. South Korea's police told media they had also blocked access to DeepSeek, while the trade ministry said that access had been temporarily restricted on all its PCs.South Korean ministries and police said Thursday they were blocking DeepSeek's access to their computers, after the Chinese AI startup did not respond to a data watchdog request about how it manages user information. DeepSeek launched its R1 chatbot last month, claiming it matches the capacity of artificial intelligence pacesetters in the United States for a fraction of the investment, upending the global industry. South Korea, along with countries such as France and Italy, have asked questions about DeepSeek's data practices, submitting a written request for information about how the company handles user information. But after DeepSeek failed to respond to an enquiry from South Korea's data watchdog, a slew of ministries confirmed Thursday they were taking steps to limit access to prevent potential leaks of sensitive information through generative AI services. "Blocking measures for DeepSeek have been implemented specifically for military work-related PCs with Internet," a defence ministry official told AFP. The ministry, which oversees active-duty soldiers deployed against the nuclear-armed North, has also "reiterated the security precautions regarding the use of generative AI for each unit and soldier, taking into account security and technical concerns", it added. South Korea's police told AFP they had also blocked access to DeepSeek, while the trade ministry said that access had been temporarily restricted on all its PCs. The trade, finance, unification and foreign ministries also all said they had blocked the app or had taken unspecified measures. Bans 'not excessive' Last week, Italy launched an investigation into DeepSeek's R1 model and blocked it from processing Italian users' data. Australia has also banned DeepSeek from all government devices on the advice of security agencies. Kim Jong-hwa, a professor at Cheju Halla University's artificial intelligence department, told AFP that amid growing rivalry between the United States and China he suspected "political factors" could be influencing the reaction to DeepSeek -- but said bans were still justified. "From a technical standpoint, AI models like ChatGPT also face numerous security-related issues that have not yet been fully addressed," he said. "Given that China operates under a communist regime, I question whether they consider security issues as much as OpenAI does when developing innovative technologies," he said. "We cannot currently assess how much attention has been paid to security concerns by DeepSeek when developing its chatbot. Therefore, I believe that taking proactive measures is not too excessive." Beijing on Thursday hit back against the ban, insisting the Chinese government "will never require enterprises or individuals to illegally collect or store data". "China has always opposed the generalisation of national security and the politicisation of economic, trade and technological issues," foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said. Beijing would also "firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises," Guo vowed. 'Complex competition' DeepSeek says it uses less-advanced H800 chips -- permitted for sale to China until 2023 under US export controls -- to power its large learning model. South Korean chip giants Samsung Electronics and SK hynix are key suppliers of advanced chips used in AI servers. The government announced on Wednesday an additional 34 trillion won ($23.5 billion) investment in semiconductors and high-tech industries, with the country's acting president urging Korean tech companies to stay flexible. "Recently, a Chinese company unveiled the AI model DeepSeek R1, which offers high performance at a low cost, making a fresh impact in the market," acting President Choi Sang-mok said Wednesday. "The global AI competition may evolve from a simple infrastructure scale-up rivalry to a more complex competition that includes software capabilities and other factors."

South Korea ministries block DeepSeek's access

South Korea's defence and trade ministries have restricted access to DeepSeek's work computers after concerns about data management practices. Following an inquiry from the data watchdog, military and trade agencies temporarily blocked the AI startup. Italy and Australia have also imposed bans on DeepSeek citing similar data protection issues.South Korea's defence and trade ministries said Thursday they had blocked DeepSeek's access to work computers, following a request from the country's data watchdog for the Chinese AI startup to clarify how it manages user information. DeepSeek launched its R1 chatbot last month, claiming it matches the capacity of artificial intelligence pace-setters in the United States for a fraction of the investment. South Korea, along with countries such as France and Italy, have 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 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. "Blocking measures for DeepSeek have been implemented specifically for military work-related PCs with Internet," a ministry official told AFP. The trade ministry said DeepSeek has not responded to the data watchdog's inquiry. "We have temporarily blocked DeepSeek since it has not responded to The Personal Information Protection Commission's inquiry," a trade ministry official told AFP. Last week, Italy launched an investigation into DeepSeek's R1 model and blocked it from processing Italian users' data. Australia has also banned DeepSeek from all government devices on the advice of security agencies. DeepSeek has said it used less-advanced H800 chips -- permitted for sale to China until 2023 under US export controls -- to power its large learning model. South Korean chip giants Samsung Electronics and SK hynix are key suppliers of advanced chips used in AI servers.

South Korea's industry ministry temporarily bans access to DeepSeek on security concerns, official says

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's industry ministry has temporarily banned employee access to Chinese artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek due to security concerns, a ministry official said on Wednesday, as the government urges caution on generative AI services. The government issued a notice on Tuesday calling for ministries and agencies to exercise caution about using AI services including DeepSeek and ChatGPT at work, officials said. State-run Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power said it had blocked use of AI services including DeepSeek earlier this month. Tech giant Kakao Corp has told its employees to refrain from using DeepSeek due to security concerns, a company spokesperson said on Wednesday. The temporary ban makes South Korea the latest government to warn about DeepSeek. Last month, Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers called on Australians to be cautious when using the Chinese AI model while U.S. officials are also looking at DeepSeek's national security implications. South Korea's information privacy watchdog plans to ask DeepSeek about how the personal information of users is managed. Chinese startup DeepSeek's launch of its latest AI models sent shockwaves through the tech world. The company says its models are on a par or better than products developed in the United States at a fraction of the cost. (Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin, Joyce Lee, Hyonhee Shin, writing by Ju-min Park; Editing by Bernadette Baum and Kate Mayberry)

South Korea's Industry Ministry Temporarily Bans Access to DeepSeek on Security Concerns, Official Says

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's industry ministry has temporarily banned employee access to Chinese artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek due to security concerns, a ministry official said on Wednesday, as the government urges caution on generative AI services. The government issued a notice on Tuesday calling for ministries and agencies to exercise caution about using AI services including DeepSeek and ChatGPT at work, officials said. State-run Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power said it had blocked use of AI services including DeepSeek earlier this month. Tech giant Kakao Corp has told its employees to refrain from using DeepSeek due to security concerns, a company spokesperson said on Wednesday. The temporary ban makes South Korea the latest government to warn about DeepSeek. Last month, Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers called on Australians to be cautious when using the Chinese AI model while U.S. officials are also looking at DeepSeek's national security implications. South Korea's information privacy watchdog plans to ask DeepSeek about how the personal information of users is managed. Chinese startup DeepSeek's launch of its latest AI models sent shockwaves through the tech world. The company says its models are on a par or better than products developed in the United States at a fraction of the cost. (Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin, Joyce Lee, Hyonhee Shin, writing by Ju-min Park; Editing by Bernadette Baum and Kate Mayberry)

South Korean government offices, firms block use of DeepSeek, citing security concerns

Lawmakers attend an urgent roundtable on Korea's response to the DeepSeek shock and strategies for developing AI held at the National Assembly Members' Office Building on Feb. 4, 2025. (Yonhap) South Korean government agencies and private companies have begun restricting the use of the Chinese-developed generative artificial intelligence service DeepSeek. The moves have been prompted by concerns that sensitive work-related information could be leaked during use. According to government sources, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE), which is in charge of external trade policy, introduced measures Wednesday to restrict the use of DeepSeek on its computers with external internet access. A day earlier, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety sent an official document to the MOTIE and other central government offices as well as metropolitan local governments with security guidelines urging caution when using generative AI services such as DeepSeek and ChatGPT. In response, the MOTIE passed the guidelines along to its affiliated public institutions, while independently singling out DeepSeek as a generative AI service subject to access restrictions. An official with the ministry explained that the move was made "in consideration of personal information protections and security." Among other central government offices, the Ministry of National Defense reportedly blocked DeepSeek access to internet-enabled computers involved in military duties, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also pursuing similar measures. Sources said the Interior and Safety Ministry document transmitted the day before included instructions to refrain from entering personal information in generative AI and to avoid unconditionally trusting the content that AI services provide, but did not explicitly single out DeepSeek as a service that should not be used. But the fact that institutions have independently begun restricting DeepSeek use comes in response to concerns that the service may be collecting too much user information amid its AI learning processes. On Jan. 31, South Korea's Personal Information Protection Commission sent a questionnaire to DeepSeek's head office in China asking for confirmation on the types of personal information collected and the associated procedures and methods of processing and storage. No reply has yet been received. Private companies have also begun moving to restrict DeepSeek use. Kakao announced Wednesday that it had circulated a notice to its employees a day earlier calling on them to "refrain from using DeepSeek services for the purposes of company duties." The same day, mobile telecom company LG U+ banned the use of DeepSeek for duties and recommended that its employees refrain from using it even on their personal computers. While Naver has not issued any separate announcements, it stated that it already has regulations prohibiting the use of generative AI for duties when the services in question store data on external servers, and that DeepSeek would not be an exception to this rule. Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, which is responsible for nuclear power technology, posted an intranet announcement on Saturday under the title "Use of the Chinese AI service DeepSeek prohibited." The power corporation has also barred the use of ChatGPT for duties in the interest of nuclear power security. Major corporations such as Samsung Electronics, SK, and LG Electronics have already developed and introduced their own internal generative AI programs and restricted the use of unauthorized external programs on company computers. Revelations that DeepSeek was collecting various forms of data from its service's users and storing them on its servers in China have sparked concerns about information leaks and security risks. While other AI services such as ChatGPT also collect user account information and data provided to chatbots, DeepSeek was found to be collecting extensive information on everything up to and including keyboard input patterns and rhythms. A telecommunications industry insider explained, "While there have been a lot of companies in the past that barred the use of generative AI for work-related purposes, this is the first time we've seen separate announcements [singling out DeepSeek]." "I think a lot of it is that it's still an unknown quantity in terms of security and safety," they added. A growing number of governments and public institutions around the world have also been prohibiting DeepSeek use. Australia, Japan, Taiwan and the US state of Texas have all banned its use on government-owned devices, while Italy has outright blocked downloading of the app. By Park Jong-o, staff reporter; Jung Yu-gyung, staff reporter; Jang Soo-kyung, staff reporter; Shin Hyeong-cheol, staff reporter

South Korea's industry ministry temporarily bans DeepSeek on security concerns, official says

SEOUL, Feb 5 (Reuters) - South Korea's industry ministry has temporarily banned employee access to Chinese artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek due to security concerns, a ministry official said on Wednesday, as the government urges caution on generative AI services. The government issued a notice on Tuesday calling for ministries and agencies to exercise caution about using AI services including DeepSeek and ChatGPT at work, officials said. State-run Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power said it had blocked use of AI services including DeepSeek earlier this month. The temporary ban makes South Korea the latest government to warn about DeepSeek. Last month, Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers called on Australians to be cautious when using the Chinese AI model while U.S. officials are also looking at DeepSeek's national security implications. South Korea's information privacy watchdog plans to ask DeepSeek about how the personal information of users is managed. Chinese startup DeepSeek's launch of its latest AI models last month sent shockwaves through the tech world. The company says its models are on a par with or better than products developed in the United States and are produced at a fraction of the cost. Tech giant Kakao Corp has told its employees to refrain from using DeepSeek due to security fears, a company spokesperson said on Wednesday, a day after the company announced its partnership with generative artificial intelligence heavyweight OpenAI. Korean tech companies are now being more careful about using generative AI. SK Hynix, a maker of AI chips, has restricted access to generative AI services, and allowed limited use when necessary, a spokesperson said. Internet giant Naver said it had asked employees not to use generative AI services that store data outside the company. (Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin, Joyce Lee, Hyonhee Shin, Hyunsu Yim, writing by Ju-min Park; Editing by Bernadette Baum, Kate Mayberry and Alex Richardson)

South Korean ministries and police block access to DeepSeek

South Korean ministries and police said Thursday they were blocking access to DeepSeek on work computers after the Chinese artificial intelligence startup did not respond to a data watchdog request about how it manages user information. DeepSeek launched its R1 chatbot last month, claiming it matches the capacity of AI pacesetters in the United States at a fraction of the investment, upending the global industry. South Korea, along with countries such as France and Italy, have asked questions about DeepSeek's data practices, submitting a written request for information about how the company handles user information.

Gov't ministries block access to DeepSeek due to security concerns

The DeepSeek smartphone app page is displayed on a smartphone screen in Beijing, Jan. 28. AP-Yonhap Personal use still permittedBy Anna J. Park A growing number of Korean government ministries have begun blocking officials from accessing DeepSeek, a Chinese AI open-source language model that has raised concerns about excessive user data collection and the potential for information leaks. The ministries responsible for particularly sensitive information, such as the foreign and defense ministries, were quick to implement the restriction. Korea joins several other countries that have been prohibiting government access to DeepSeek. These restrictions range from outright bans on government devices and systems to warnings and guidelines against its use, often stemming from fears about data collection and transmission to China. Following the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's guidelines issued Tuesday, which advised ministries and 17 metropolitan local governments to exercise caution in using generative AI, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy blocked access to DeepSeek the next day. While the guidelines did not specifically mention the name of the Chinese AI program, they are widely interpreted as targeting the platform. On Thursday, the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Environment and the Korean National Police Agency joined the move to block access. "Due to security concerns surrounding DeepSeek, including the potential for personal information leaks, we have blocked access to the DeepSeek domain on official police computers starting at 7 a.m. Thursday, until its security is verified," the police agency said. An official at the Ministry of Environment noted that DeepSeek's data collection system is understood to differ from that of ChatGPT, thus it was blocked "as a precaution to prevent information leaks." The Ministry of Unification, along with the Ministry of Economy and Finance, also plans to block access to the Chinese AI tool soon, citing "multiple technical concerns raised both domestically and internationally." "The finance ministry is reviewing measures to block access to DeepSeek on PCs that can connect to external networks," an official at the finance ministry said earlier in the day. The presidential office has not blocked access to DeepSeek, but explained that external programs were never accessible to begin with. Meanwhile, the National Assembly has not yet restricted access to DeepSeek. Computers used in the National Assembly operate on separate networks -- one internal and another external -- and the external network can still access AI sites like DeepSeek. DeepSeek has raised security concerns in several countries due to allegations that it collects and stores user device information, IP addresses and even keyboard input patterns on servers in China during the AI learning process. As a result, Australia, Japan, Taiwan and the U.S. state of Texas have banned its use on government-owned devices. Italy also blocked downloads of DeepSeek from Apple and Google app stores at the end of last month. On Jan. 31, Korea's Personal Information Protection Commission sent an inquiry to DeepSeek's headquarters in China, requesting details on data collection, processing and storage methods. However, the Chinese AI company has not yet provided a response.

South Korea Blocks Access to DeepSeek From Government Devices

South Korea has blocked access to DeepSeek AI services from government devices, joining a list of companies and countries taking action to limit usage of the Chinese startup's artificial intelligence chatbot due to security concerns. South Korea's defense, foreign and trade ministries have restricted officials' access to the service on government computers, Yonhap News reported, citing multiple sources it did not identify.

DeepSeek Gets A Temporary Ban Hammer In South Korea, But Authorities Have Also Voiced Caution Against Using ChatGPT, Particularly On Computers Made For Military Use

Security fears have once again forced a country, this time South Korea, to go ahead and ban DeepSeek, albeit its services will be temporarily disabled in the region. However, it is not like the rising Chinese AI startup is being singled out because government officials are also sending warnings to other departments on the risks of using chatbots like ChatGPT on their machines that carry sensitive information. A notice was issued by the South Korean government on Tuesday, with Reuters reporting that ministries and other agencies were asked to exercise caution regarding the use of the AI services from DeepSeek and ChatGPT at work. Prior to this announcement, the Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power stated that it had blocked the use of these services earlier this month. The defense ministry has also followed suit by blocking DeepSeek on computers that are meant for military use to minimize any security breach. The foreign ministry was next in line, restricting employees from accessing DeepSeek on computers that connect to external networks. While the relevant departments have mentioned the potential security concerns that ChatGPT brings, it is unconfirmed if the service has been banned in South Korea. However, it should be mentioned that Australia and Taiwan have already banned DeepSeek this week from all government devices, with Italy's Apple and Google app stores no longer displaying the app as it was removed following a request sent to DeepSeek asking several questions about General Data Protection Regulation compliance and how the firm would handle privacy. South Korea's information privacy authority will reportedly ask DeepSeek on how the personal information of users is managed. Based on the response provided by the company, the AI chatbot's ban in the country could be lifted or maintained indefinitely.

South Korea watchdog to question DeepSeek over user data

Seoul (AFP) - South Korea will ask Chinese AI startup DeepSeek to clarify how it manages users' personal information, its data watchdog said Friday, joining a number of countries seeking answers. DeepSeek launched its R1 chatbot this month, claiming it matches the capacity of artificial intelligence pace-setters in the United States for a fraction of the investment. The news sparked a rout in tech titans -- Nvidia dived 17 percent Monday -- and raised questions about the hundreds of billions of dollars invested in AI in recent years. But countries now including South Korea, France, Australia and Italy have questions about DeepSeek's data practices. "We intend to submit our request in writing as early as Friday to obtain information about how DeepSeek handles personal data," an official from South Korea's Personal Information Protection Commission told AFP, without giving further details. -'Be very careful'- Italy launched an investigation this week into the R1 model and blocked it from processing Italian users' data. The Italian Data Protection Agency is asking what information is used to train DeepSeek's AI system and, if the data is scraped from the internet, how users are informed about the processing of their data. French watchdog CNIL also said it would question DeepSeek about its chatbot "to better understand the way it works and the risks regarding data protection". On Tuesday, Australia's science minister Ed Husic raised privacy concerns over the company's AI service and urged users to think carefully before downloading it. "There are a lot of questions that will need to be answered in time on quality, consumer preferences, data and privacy management," Husic told national broadcaster ABC. "I would be very careful about that. These type of issues need to be weighed up carefully," he added. The Italian watchdog in December fined OpenAI 15 million euros ($15.6 million) over the use of personal data by its popular ChatGPT chatbot, but the US tech firm said it would appeal. Italy also temporarily blocked ChatGPT over privacy concerns in March 2023, becoming the first Western country to take such action. DeepSeek has said it used less-advanced H800 chips -- permitted for sale to China until 2023 under US export controls -- to power its large learning model. South Korean chip giants Samsung Electronics and SK hynix are key suppliers of advanced chips used in AI servers. Worries about the impact of DeepSeek battered stocks in Seoul as the market reopened after an extended break Friday. Samsung fell more than two percent, while SK hynix plunged almost 12 percent at one point. But several industry leaders have welcomed DeepSeek's arrival and the injection of competition, while analysts have flagged the benefits of the shake-up.

South Korea watchdog to question DeepSeek over user data

South Korea will ask Chinese startup DeepSeek how it manages users' personal information, Seoul's data watchdog said Friday, after the company launched its powerful new AI chatbot this week. DeepSeek claims its R1 chatbot matches the capacity of artificial intelligence pace-setters in the United States for a fraction of the investments made by American companies. The news sparked a rout in tech titans -- Nvidia dived 17 percent Monday -- and raised questions about the hundreds of billions of dollars invested in AI in recent years. "We intend to submit our request in writing as early as Friday to obtain information about how DeepSeek handles personal data," an official from South Korea's Personal Information Protection Commission told AFP, without giving further details. Other countries have also raised questions about DeepSeek's AI chatbot. Italy launched an investigation this week into the R1 model and blocked it from processing Italian users' data. The Italian Data Protection Agency is asking what information is used to train DeepSeek's AI system and, if the data is scraped from the internet, how users are informed about the processing of their data. French watchdog CNIL also said it would question DeepSeek about its chatbot "to better understand the way it works and the risks regarding data protection". The Chinese startup has said it used less-advanced H800 chips -- permitted for sale to China until 2023 under US export controls -- to power its large learning model. South Korean chip giants Samsung Electronics and SK hynix are key suppliers of advanced chips used in AI servers. Worries about the impact of DeepSeek battered stocks in Seoul as the market reopened after an extended break Friday. Samsung fell more than two percent, while SK hynix plunged almost 12 percent at one point.

Finance ministry to block DeepSeek access citing technical concerns

Finance ministry to block DeepSeek access citing technical concerns The Deepseek logo is seen on a mobile screen, Jan. 29. Reuters-Yonhap The finance ministry plans to block access to the Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) service DeepSeek, a ministry official said Thursday, in the latest of Seoul's restrictions on the use of the service among officials amid data collection concerns. "Due to multiple technical concerns raised about DeepSeek from home and abroad, we plan to block access for the service on PCs connected to external networks," the official said. The decision is part of a government-wide initiative to limit access to DeepSeek to prevent potential leaks of critical information through generative AI services. On Wednesday, access to the service was restricted on computers at the foreign, trade and defense ministries in Korea. Korean foreign, trade ministries block access to DeepSeek 2025-02-05 21:35 | Foreign Affairs An official at the unification ministry separately said on Thursday that the ministry also plans to block access to AI services, apparently DeepSeek. "The unification ministry has (since 2023) prohibited the input of undisclosed official data into all generative AI at the request of the National Intelligence Service and the interior ministry," the official said. Asked whether the ministry would block access to DeepSeek, the official said, "We plan to take follow-up measures within the day, including blocking access," without directly mentioning its name. DeepSeek has drawn significant attention since its release last month, impressing industry experts with its high performance at relatively low cost when compared to competing services. However, concerns over its security and data management practices have led multiple countries to scrutinize and impose restrictions on the service. (Yonhap)

Korean foreign, trade ministries block access to DeepSeek

Deepseek logo is seen in this illustration taken, Jan. 27. Reuters-Yonhap The foreign and trade ministries on Wednesday blocked access to the Chinese artificial intelligence service DeepSeek amid concerns about user data collection. According to multiple ministry sources, access to the service has been restricted on ministry computers connected to external networks. A ministry official told Yonhap News Agency that a message indicating access is restricted appears when attempting to visit the site. (Yonhap)

Korea to look into China's DeepSeek AI service over data privacy concerns

gettyimagesbank By Kim Hyun-bin The Korean government plans to look into the data collection process of Chinese startup DeepSeek's artificial intelligence (AI) service amid concerns about its collection and handling of users' personal information. The Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) said Friday it will soon send an official inquiry to DeepSeek requesting detailed information on the company's data collection and processing practices. DeepSeek has garnered significant attention for delivering high-performance AI capabilities for a relatively low development cost. However, the service has come under scrutiny for allegedly collecting extensive user data and storing it on servers located in China. The controversy surrounding DeepSeek has prompted several European countries to take action. The British government is reportedly reviewing the AI service from a national security perspective, while Italy's data protection authority has sent an official inquiry to DeepSeek concerning its data handling methods. German authorities are also considering potential regulatory measures, according to local media reports. In line with these international developments, the PIPC said it will request the Chinese company to explain what personal information the AI service collects, how it utilizes the data and whether information from Korean users is stored on Chinese servers. "We need detailed information on DeepSeek's data collection and processing methods. We are sending an official inquiry via the company's email address," a spokesperson of the commission said. If confirmed, concerns about DeepSeek's data practices could lead to heightened regulatory scrutiny and potential restrictions on the service in Korea. Industry experts believe that this case underscores the growing importance of data sovereignty and the need for international cooperation on AI regulations. As generative AI services continue to proliferate, governments worldwide face increasing pressure to ensure that user data is protected and service providers adhere to stringent privacy standards.

Environment ministry joins in move to block access to DeepSeek

The Deepseek app icon on a mobile screen is seen, Jan. 27. Reuters-Yonhap The Ministry of Environment on Thursday joined many other government ministries in blocking access to the Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) service DeepSeek amid concerns about user data collection. The ministry blocked access to DeepSeek from its internet-connected PCs from 9 a.m. on the day, though it did not take such a measure for other generative AIs, such as OpenAI and ChatGPT. Finance ministry to block DeepSeek access citing technical concerns 2025-02-06 10:59 | Tech "The intelligence authorities have asked for caution in using DeepSeek, as its personal information collection system is not yet clearly known," a ministry official said. Since the interior ministry asked central government ministries and 17 local governments on Tuesday to be cautious about using generative AIs, such as DeepSeek, the foreign, trade, defense and finance ministries have blocked access to the Chinese AI so far. (Yonhap)

South Korea privacy watchdog to ask DeepSeek about personal information use

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's information privacy watchdog plans to ask DeepSeek about how the personal information of users is managed, an agency official said on Friday. The country's Personal Information Protection Commission will be sending a written request for information to the operators of the Chinese artificial intelligence model soon, the official said. Authorities in France, Italy and Ireland and other countries have also been looking into DeepSeek's use of personal data.

Privacy watchdog to ask DeepSeek about personal information use

The Deepseek app is seen in this illustration, Jan. 29. Reuters-Yonhap Korea's information privacy watchdog plans to ask DeepSeek about how the personal information of users is managed, an agency official said on Friday. The country's Personal Information Protection Commission will be sending a written request for information to the operators of the Chinese artificial intelligence model soon, the official said. Authorities in France, Italy and Ireland and other countries have also been looking into DeepSeek's use of personal data. (Reuters) Seoul shares sharply down late Friday morning on tech slide 2025-01-31 13:39 | Markets