South Korea blocks Chinese AI DeepSeek from government computers

South Korea’s defence and trade ministries said on Thursday they had blocked DeepSeek’s access to work computers, following a request from the country’s data watchdog for the Chinese artificial intelligence start-up to clarify how it manages user information.

DeepSeek launched its R1 chatbot last month, claiming it matches the capacity of AI pacesetters 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 on 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.

“Access to DeepSeek from military work computers has been blocked,” a defence ministry spokesperson told This Week in Asia.

“The ministry has reinforced security precautions regarding the use of generative AI and implemented necessary pre-emptive measures for military personnel’s work devices.”

The trade ministry said DeepSeek has not responded to the data watchdog’s inquiry.