Chinese manufacturers like Xiaomi, Dreame, and Roborock are intensifying their push into South Korea’s premium robot vacuum sector with advanced features and new automated maintenance capabilities, disrupting the longstanding dominance of Korean brands Samsung and LG.
Chinese robot vacuum makers are sharpening their attack on South Korea with higher-end models, moving well beyond the low-price image that once defined them. As the domestic market is said to be worth more than 1 trillion won this year, established leader Roborock is facing a wider field of rivals from the same country, while Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics are also trying to defend their home ground with new products and stronger sales.
According to T3 and Gizmochina, Xiaomi will launch its Robot Vacuum 6 series in South Korea on 19 August, with the top-end 6 Max offering up to 35,000Pa of suction, AI-based obstacle recognition and a chassis that can climb thresholds of more than 6cm. The broader line-up also includes a base station that handles mop washing, hot-water cleaning and drying, underscoring how these devices now compete on automated maintenance as much as cleaning power. Gizmochina also reported that Xiaomi has been upgrading the same family in China with roller-style mopping and more edge-focused cleaning tools.
Dreame has also entered the South Korean market with a machine that uses 180-degree high-temperature steam and a hot-water roller mop. The company says the product reaches as much as 40,000Pa of suction and can clear double thresholds of 10cm, or a single step of 5cm. Meanwhile, Roborock recently launched the Qrevo 2 Pro and F25 Steam in South Korea, with features that include steam washing, hot-water mop care and corner-cleaning mechanisms aimed at premium buyers. The pattern suggests that Chinese brands are now fighting for the upper end of the market, not merely the budget segment.
They are also trying to close the gap in areas long used by Korean rivals as selling points. EcoVacs has announced a 2026 data security plan to strengthen how its products handle information, while also combining delivery, installation and after-sales service into one package. The company says it has more than 90 service centres and over 1,000 engineers. That matters in a market where support, trust and privacy can be as important as suction power, and where analysts say Korean makers will need clearer differentiation, particularly through AI platforms and other software-led features.
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