What is the South Korea Exoskeleton Market Size?

The South Korea exoskeleton market is expected to reach USD xx million by 2035, at a CAGR of 23.1% from 2025 to 2035.

The rapidly aging population is driving a growing need for rehabilitation and mobility assistance. At the same time, increasing safety concerns in the manufacturing and construction sectors are prompting a stronger focus on worker protection. Government initiatives are actively supporting the development of robotics and wearable technologies to address these challenges.

Rising labor and compensation costs for workplace injuries further accelerate the shift toward automation in industrial applications. This trend is reinforced by the widespread adoption of Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing practices, which enhance operational efficiency and safety.

Advancements in lightweight materials and battery technology have made exoskeleton systems more practical and accessible. As a result, these systems are increasingly being deployed across various settings in South Korea, including hospitals, rehabilitation centers, manufacturing facilities, construction sites, and logistics operations.

Market Highlights: South Korea Exoskeleton

• In terms of revenue, the South Korea exoskeleton market is projected to reach USD xx million by 2035.
• The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 23.1% from 2025 to 2035.
• By type, the powered exoskeletons segment holds the largest market share in 2025.
• By type, the powered exoskeletons segment is also expected to witness the fastest growth during the forecast period.
• By mobility, the mobile exoskeletons segment holds the largest share of the overall market in 2025.
• By mobility, the mobile exoskeletons segment is expected to witness the fastest CAGR during the forecast period.
• By body part, the lower extremity segment holds the largest market share in 2025.
• By body part, the full body segment is expected to witness significant growth during the forecast period.
• By end user, the industrial & manufacturing segment holds the largest share in 2025.
• By end user, the healthcare & medical segment is expected to witness the fastest CAGR during the forecast period.

Market Overview

The South Korea exoskeleton market covers the design, production, distribution, and operation of wearable robotic systems that augment human function or assist with the mobility of those with impairments. These systems include powered exoskeletons that use electric motors, pneumatics, or hydraulics to augment human strength and endurance, as well as passive exoskeletons that use mechanical structures and springs to redistribute loads without external power. The market includes uses in numerous applications, from medical rehabilitation to assist stroke and spinal cord injury patients in returning to mobility, to use in the industry to assist the worker lifting heavy overhead tasks and/or for the increase of comfort/function and the reduction of fatigue/injury.

The aging demographic of South Korea is driving the market with the country already over 17% aged 65 years and older. This number is projected to grow to 40% by 2060, creating significant demand for occupational health rehabilitation and mobility assistance technologies. Concerns for occupational health and safety risks are also a rising issue in manufacturing industries that have historically relied on manual labor. Other factors influencing the growth of this market include government support through the Korean New Deal initiative to promote digital and green infrastructure for robotics, funding from the Ministry of Trade Industry and Energy to support wearable robot technology, industrial safety regulations mandating ergonomic interventions, labour shortages in manufacturing and construction have driven productivity-enhancing tools, corporate investments in workforce safety and retention programs, and a strong robotics and electronics manufacturing base in South Korea to compete and build an ecosystem for exoskeleton development and adoption.

What are the Key Trends in the South Korea Exoskeleton Market?

Industrial adoption driven by manufacturing sector transformation: A major trend in the South Korea exoskeleton market is the rapid introduction of industrial exoskeletons in manufacturing facilities, specifically in the automotive, ship building, aerospace, and heavy equipment markets, and on behalf of workers performing demanding physical labor. This trend is driven by South Korea's advanced manufacturing economy that is facing the simultaneous stress of an aging workforce, rising labor costs, increased workplace injury compensation costs, and competitive pressure to continue to increase productivity. As a result, organizations including Hyundai Motor, Samsung Heavy Industries, and Korea Aerospace Industries, have initiated pilots and deployed exoskeleton systems to assist employees with overhead assembly, manual lifting, and prolonged standing and kneeling which can lead to work-related musculoskeletal disorders.

Healthcare and rehabilitation applications expanding rapidly: Another important trend is the growing use of medical rehabilitation exoskeletons in hospitals and rehabilitation centers for stroke patients, spinal injury patients, and the aging population with mobility issues. This trend has been driven by South Korea's aging population demographics, its advanced healthcare infrastructure especially with respect to facilities and healthcare spending, and the Korean culture that supports rehabilitation and quality of life. Notable hospitals and rehabilitation centers, such as Seoul National University Hospital, Asan Medical Center and Samsung Medical Center are incorporating robotic exoskeletons for rehabilitation therapy and demonstrating clinical effectiveness in helping patients achieve improvements in gait patterns, muscle strength and independence in mobility, to some extent relative to traditional physical therapy alone.

Market Scope

Market Dynamics

Drivers

Aging Population and Rising Healthcare Needs

South Korea is experiencing one of the fastest aging population trends globally, with the elderly population aged 65 and above surpassing 20.3% in 2025. This demographic shift is profound, with projections indicating the elderly population could exceed 40% by 2050. This aging population is experiencing a surge of chronic health conditions related to aging, including stroke, osteoarthritis, and osteoporosis, all of which impair elderly mobility and independence. In fact, every year, stroke affects approximately 90,000 to 100,000 Koreans, many of whom experience mobility impairments and must endure extensive rehabilitation. Traditional rehabilitation is labor intensive and time constrained by the number of therapists available, driving increasing interest in robotic rehabilitation technologies like exoskeletons. The advantages of robotic technology include delivering therapy in a consistent, measurable, and standardized way, while eliminating reliance on the therapist, thus reducing the burden they place on the rehabilitation experience. The burden to the economy and the individual is even more significant when you consider that the healthcare expenditure attributable to musculoskeletal and rehabilitation services only continues to grow. Therefore, both public and private sectors are investing in assistive technologies to improve efficiency of therapy and increase home-based therapy to reduce long-term care costs. All of these demographic realities, health care challenges, and the potential for technological intervention uniquely position exoskeletons as a growth domain in South Korea.

Opportunity

Government Support and Robotics Industry Development Initiatives

Robotics and wearable technology development in South Korea receive substantial support from the government, which provides significant opportunity to advance the exoskeleton market. The Korean New Deal initiative, launched in 2020, includes considerable investment in digital infrastructure and emerging industries, including robotics, as one of the strategic priority sectors. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) has provided funding to develop wearable robot projects, including exoskeletons, through funding programs such as the Robot Industry Advancement Strategy and Manufacturing Innovation 3.0. In addition to funding research, the government is easing regulatory processes for medical device approval, conducting demonstration projects in industrial settings, and implementing public procurement programs.

Government sponsored research institutions such as the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) and the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) are developing exoskeleton technology and collaborating with commercial manufacturing firms on technology transfer. Regional governments in large industrial clusters such as Ulsan, Changwon, and Gumi are incentivizing companies to utilize advanced manufacturing technologies, including industrial exoskeletons.

The robust industrial foundation established by South Korea in robotics, electronics and advanced materials also offers advantages for an exoskeleton ecosystem. South Korean tech giants such as Samsung, LG, Hyundai, and SK have either established robotics divisions or invested in programs or start-ups focused on wearables robots, which leads to further advantages for developing a domestic exoskeleton ecosystem. In addition, the availability of component suppliers, manufacturing capability and an educated workforce from some of the world's best universities creates an ideal environment to establish a domestic exoskeleton industry. Export opportunities to other aging Asian societies including Japan, Taiwan and China further offers additional potential for Korean exoskeleton market.

Type Insights

Why Do Powered Exoskeletons Dominate the Market?

The powered exoskeletons segment holds the largest share of around 68-72% of the overall South Korea exoskeleton market in 2025. This dominance is mainly due to their ability to provide active assistance for severe mobility impairments, superior performance in industrial applications requiring significant force augmentation, and greater functionality for rehabilitation applications requiring precise control and measurement of patient movement.

Mobility Insights

How Do Mobile Exoskeletons Lead the Market?

Based on mobility, the mobile exoskeletons segment holds the largest share of the overall exoskeleton market in South Korea in 2025. This is mainly attributed to the greater versatility of mobile systems that allow unrestricted movement, broader application range including rehabilitation therapy, industrial work across large areas, and alignment with market needs for solutions supporting normal work patterns rather than constraining workers to fixed locations.

Body Part Insights

Why Do Lower Extremity Exoskeletons Dominate the Market?

Based on body part, the lower extremity segment holds the largest share in 2025, primarily due to the large burden of lower extremity mobility impairments from stroke, spinal cord injury, aging, and orthopedic conditions, the essential nature of walking ability in terms of independence and quality of life, and industrial applications requiring standing endurance and injury prevention from repetitive bending motion to lower back strain.

The full body segment is however anticipated to witness the robust growth over the forecast period driven by use cases needing full body support including severe disability cases in which assistance is needed to both the upper and lower extremities; heavy industrial applications in shipbuilding or general construction in which greater force can be applied to the entire body; and military applications currently being investigated for the South Koran defense sector to enhance soldier performance.

End User Insights

How Do Industrial & Manufacturing Companies Lead the Market?

Based on end user, the industrial & manufacturing segment holds the largest share of in 2025. Factors that contribute to this dominance include South Korea's strong manufacturing economy which employs hundreds-of-thousands of people in many physically taxing jobs in automotive, electronics, shipbuilding, machinery, and aerospace; an immediate return on investment in lowering injury costs and improved productivity; and corporate ability to purchase systems at an industrial scale.

The healthcare & medical industry is expected to have the highest CAGR from 2025 to 2035, primarily attributed to an aging population creating an exponentially increasing demand for rehabilitation services, some clinical evidence showing robotic gait training is therapeutically effective, the emergence of home-use medical exoskeletons transferring the market from institutions to home users, and the possibility of health insurance reimbursement once regulatory pathways are established.

Recent Developments

• March 2025 - Hyundai Motor Group announced expansion of its exoskeleton pilot program across domestic manufacturing facilities, deploying 500 additional units of both passive and powered upper extremity support devices for overhead assembly work.
• February 2025 - Samsung Medical Center published clinical trial results demonstrating significant gait improvement in stroke patients using robotic exoskeleton therapy compared to conventional physical therapy, supporting broader adoption in Korean rehabilitation practice.
• January 2025 - Korean startup Angel Robotics received regulatory approval from Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for its medical rehabilitation exoskeleton, becoming the first domestically-developed lower extremity device approved for clinical use in South Korea.
• December 2024 - P&S Mechanics (MEXO) signed partnership agreement with major construction companies to pilot industrial exoskeletons at large-scale building projects in Seoul and Busan metropolitan areas.
• November 2024 - Hyundai Rotemco unveiled next-generation powered exoskeleton prototype with 70kg lifting assistance capability designed specifically for shipyard applications, targeting deployment at Hyundai Heavy Industries facilities.

Segments Covered in the Report

By Type

• Powered Exoskeletons
• Passive Exoskeletons

By Mobility

• Mobile Exoskeletons
• Stationary Exoskeletons

By Body Part

• Lower Extremity Exoskeletons
• Upper Extremity Exoskeletons
• Full Body Exoskeletons

By End User

• Healthcare & Medical
• Industrial & Manufacturing
• Military & Defense
• Construction
• Logistics & Warehousing
• Others