South Korea Issues Temporary DeepSek Ban Due To Security Concerns

South Korea plans to ask for clarification from DeepSek regarding how the company manages users' personal data. (photo: dock. pexels)

JAKARTA The Ministry of Industry of South Korea has temporarily banned employee access to the Chinese startup's artificial intelligence (AI) service, DeepSeek, for security reasons. This was revealed by a ministry official on Wednesday, February 5. This step was taken in line with the government's call for institutions and ministries to be careful in using generative AI services.

The South Korean government issued a notice on Tuesday, February 4 asking all ministries and institutions to be more alert to the use of AI services, including DeepSek and ChatGPT, in their work.

State-owned company, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, has blocked the use of AI services such as DeepSek since earlier this month. According to a Yonhap News Agency report, South Korea's Foreign Ministry has also restricted access to DeepSek on computers connected to external networks. However, the ministry did not disclose further details regarding the security measures implemented.

With this ban, South Korea has become the latest country to issue a warning against the use of DeepSek. Earlier, in January, Australia's Minister of Finance, Jim Chalmers, asked the public to be careful in using the Chinese-made AI model. Officials in the United States are also reviewing the implications of national security related to DeepSek.

South Korea's information privacy watchdog plans to ask for clarification from DeepSek regarding how the company manages users' personal data.

DeepSek has caught the world's attention after launching their latest AI model last month, which is claimed to have equivalent or better quality than similar products developed in the United States, with much lower production costs.

Several major technology companies in South Korea have taken preventive measures against generative AI services. Tech giant Kakao Corp has asked its employees not to use DeepSeek for security reasons, the day after the company announced its partnership with OpenAI.

Meanwhile, chipmaker AI SK Hynix limits access to a generative AI service and only allows its use under certain conditions. The giant internet company Naver has also asked its employees not to use AI services that store data outside the company.