South Korean Conglomerates Amass Over 1,500 AI Patents as Tech Race Heats Up

Samsung Electronics leads the pack with the highest number of AI patent registrations. (Image courtesy of Samsung Electronics)

SEOUL, Aug. 8 (Korea Bizwire) – As the artificial intelligence (AI) market continues to expand, South Korea’s major corporations have collectively secured more than 1,500 AI-related patents, according to a recent report. Samsung Electronics leads the pack with the highest number of AI patent registrations.

CEO Score, a corporate data research firm, released findings on August 7 showing that 111 large companies in South Korea had registered a total of 1,503 AI-related patents with the Korean Intellectual Property Office as of March 12.

The surge in AI patent registrations by these conglomerates began in earnest following the high-profile 2016 Go match between professional player Lee Sedol and Google DeepMind’s AlphaGo. The numbers have since skyrocketed, with 142 patents registered in 2020, 303 in 2021, 332 in 2022, and 403 in 2023, riding the global AI wave. 

Samsung Electronics topped the list with 387 AI patents, followed by LG Electronics (154), Naver (90), SK Telecom (78), and the Korea Electric Power Corporation (54). Other notable companies in the top 10 include Hanwha Systems, KT, LIG Nex1, Coupang, and Hyundai Motor Company. 

The most commonly registered AI patents among these companies relate to learning methods (687), followed by machine learning (567), deep learning (130), voice recognition (117), and neuromorphic circuits (81).

This corporate push mirrors a broader national trend. Overall AI patent registrations in South Korea have increased dramatically over the past nine years, from just 18 in 2014 to 4,559 in 2023 — a 253-fold increase.

This surge is attributed to factors such as the emergence of AlphaGo and the increased demand for non-contact services during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Notably, universities and research institutions also hold a significant number of AI patents. The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Seoul National University, Yonsei University, the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, and Korea University are among the leading academic institutions in this field. 

Seoul National University stands out for its industry collaborations, holding the highest number of joint patent applications (108). Of Samsung Electronics’ 387 AI patents, 44 are joint applications, with 11 filed in collaboration with Seoul National University’s industry-academic cooperation foundation. 

Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)