South Korea's defence ministry has blocked access to the DeepSeek artificial intelligence tool on ministry computers used for military purposes, an official said on Thursday.

South Korea has blocked access to Chinese AI startup DeepSeek on government and military computers over concerns about data privacy and security.

South Korea's defence and trade ministries have restricted access to DeepSeek's work computers after concerns about data management practices. Following an inquiry from the data watchdog, military and trade agencies temporarily blocked the AI startup.

A former South Korean defence minister charged with insurrection over his role in a short-lived martial law declaration has praised protesters who stormed a court over last month's decision to extend President Yoon Suk Yeol's detention.

South Korean ministries and police said Thursday they were blocking DeepSeek's access to work computers, after the Chinese AI startup did not respond to a data watchdog request about how it manages user information.

South Korea's industry ministry has temporarily banned employee access to Chinese artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek due to security concerns, a ministry official said on Wednesday, as the government urges caution on generative AI services.

South Korea's industry ministry has temporarily blocked employee access to Chinese artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek due to security concerns, a ministry official said on Wednesday, as the government urges caution on generative AI services.