South Korea’s industry ministry has temporarily restricted employee access to the Chinese artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek due to security issues, as reported by a ministry official. The government is urging caution regarding the use of generative AI services. In addition, the government issued a notice advising ministries and agencies to be cautious about utilizing AI services, including ChatGPT, in their operations.
State-run enterprises restrict DeepSeek access
State-run Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power announced it had blocked access to AI services, including DeepSeek, earlier this month. Additionally, the defence ministry has also restricted access to DeepSeek on computers designated for military use, according to officials on Thursday. The foreign ministry has limited access to DeepSeek on devices connected to external networks, as reported by Yonhap News Agency. The ministry noted it cannot disclose specific security measures.
Defence ministry confirms blocks on DeepSeek access
On Thursday, Seoul’s defence ministry confirmed it had blocked DeepSeek from military computers that connect to the internet, while the trade ministry indicated that access had been temporarily restricted across all PCs within the agency.
Official statements on DeepSeek blocking measures
“Blocking measures for DeepSeek have been implemented specifically for military work-related PCs with Internet,” a ministry official told AFP. The trade ministry noted that DeepSeek has not yet responded to inquiries from the data watchdog. “We have temporarily blocked DeepSeek since it has not responded to The Personal Information Protection Commission’s inquiry,” a trade ministry official stated to AFP.
Global responses to DeepSeek’s security risks
DeepSeek has not promptly replied to an emailed request for comments. It remains unclear whether any actions have been taken against ChatGPT by the ministries. This ban makes South Korea the latest government to issue warnings or impose restrictions on DeepSeek.
Read more: DeepSeek’s national security threats trigger bans in Australia and Taiwan
International bans on DeepSeek due to security concerns
Australia and Taiwan have recently banned DeepSeek from all government devices due to concerns that the Chinese AI startup poses security risks. Italy’s data protection authority mandated that DeepSeek block its chatbot in January after the startup failed to address the regulator’s concerns regarding its privacy policy. Other governments in Europe, the U.S., and India are also assessing the implications of using DeepSeek.
Inquiry into DeepSeek’s management of personal data
South Korea’s information privacy watchdog plans to inquire with DeepSeek about the management of users’ personal information. DeepSeek launched its R1 chatbot last month, claiming it matches the capabilities of leading AI technologies in the United States at a fraction of the investment costs.
Italy’s investigation into DeepSeek’s R1 model
Last week, Italy initiated an investigation into DeepSeek’s R1 model and blocked it from processing data for Italian users. DeepSeek has stated that it utilized less-advanced H800 chips—permitted for sale to China until 2023 under U.S. export controls—to power its large learning model.
