AI and robotics in apparel manufacturing
South Korea Accelerates Apparel Automation with AI and Robotics (Apparelviews)
Summary: South Korea’s textile and apparel industry is accelerating AI- and robot-driven manufacturing automation. Hansae has signed a contract with robotic gripper firm Realworld and is reviewing deployment, while also running proof-of-concept testing with CAPlanet on automated pattern size adjustment. Bokwang INT is applying AI that detects fabric thickness and tension in real time to adjust sewing conditions, and Korean Friends is developing generative AI that converts designs into work orders. The government is preparing a 310 billion won (approximately $222.4 million) high-tech future textiles program from 2028 to 2034, with about 200 companies applying for the demand survey.
Why it matters: The source states the goal is to boost productivity by integrating AI across the entire textile manufacturing process, from yarn and spinning to dyeing, processing, and sewing, and to offset the labor shortage and preserve the domestic manufacturing base.
Context: South Korea’s textile industry led exports in the 1960s and 1970s, but production facilities rapidly relocated to China and Vietnam as labor and production costs mounted, and the aging domestic production workforce has made it difficult to secure skilled labor for sewing and other processes.
"If processes that require extensive human labor, such as cutting and sewing, can be automated with AI and robots, it will help offset the labor shortage and preserve the domestic manufacturing base." — APPARELVIEWS
Date: August 21, 2026 03:04 AM ET
URL: https://www.apparelviews.com/south-korea-accelerates-apparel-automation-with-ai-and-robotics
Generated Analysis Tone: Negative (50%)
Source Registry Score: 10.0/10 — High
Generated text and tone describe the analysis; the source registry score is not a factual truth rating.Post ID: 81eeb6e1