South Korean finance ministry to block Chinese DeepSeek AI access
South Korea’s finance ministry plans to block access to the Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) service DeepSeek, a ministry official said on Thursday, as part of Seoul’s latest restrictions on the use of the service amid data collection concerns.
“Due to multiple technical concerns raised about DeepSeek from home and abroad, we plan to block access to the service on PCs connected to external networks,” the official stated.
The decision is part of a government-wide initiative to limit access to DeepSeek and prevent potential leaks of critical information through generative AI services, according to a report by Yonhap news agency.
On Wednesday, access to the service was restricted on computers at South Korea’s foreign, trade, and defense ministries.
Additionally, an official at the unification ministry said on Thursday that similar restrictions are being considered.
“The unification ministry has (since 2023) prohibited the input of undisclosed official data into all generative AI services at the request of the National Intelligence Service and the interior ministry,” the official said.
Asked whether the ministry would block access to DeepSeek, the official responded, “We plan to take follow-up measures within the day, including blocking access,” without directly naming the service.
DeepSeek has gained significant attention since its release last month, impressing industry experts with its high performance and relatively low cost compared to competing AI services. However, concerns over its security and data management practices have led multiple countries to scrutinize and impose restrictions on the service.
Earlier, the foreign and trade ministries also blocked access to DeepSeek amid concerns over user data collection. According to multiple ministry sources, access to the service has been restricted on ministry computers connected to external networks.
These ministries handle sensitive data related to foreign affairs and trade, and the move is seen as part of the government’s efforts to proactively address concerns that critical government data could be compromised through the use of generative AI services.
