Dyson looking to expand into competitive home appliance market with Korea-tailored products

Dyson on Thursday unveiled three new home appliances in Korea, including its first AI–powered robot vacuum cleaner, as the British company seeks to expand in a market dominated by Chinese brands.

Dyson's AI robot vacuum cleaner, the Spot+Scrub AI, is displayed at The Hyundai Seoul in Yeongdeungpo District, western Seoul on Jan. 22. [YI WOO-LIM]

Dyson on Thursday unveiled three new home appliances in Korea, including its first AI–powered robot vacuum cleaner, as the British company seeks to expand in a market dominated by Chinese brands.

The company introduced the products at a media event at The Hyundai Seoul shopping complex in western Seoul. The lineup includes the Spot+Scrub AI robot vacuum, the Clean+Wash Hygiene wet vacuum and the Hushjet Purifier Compact air purifier.

The launch comes as Dyson looks to gain ground in Korea’s highly competitive home appliance market, where Chinese manufacturers are estimated to control about 70 percent of sales.

The Spot+Scrub AI was the centerpiece of the event. While Dyson began selling robot vacuum cleaners in Korea in 2024, this is the first model to feature AI technology developed under the company’s own brand.

Nathan Lawson McLean, senior design manager at Dyson, said that advanced AI technology allows the new robot cleaner to identify liquid types such as pet waste and coffee spills and repeat the cleaning process up to 15 times until the area is clean.

The product performs vacuum suction and mopping at the same time. The robot cleaner applies clean water at 12 contact points to continuously rinse the cleaning roller, preventing dirty water from being spread back onto the floor. The system washes the roller with 60-degree Celsius (140-degree Fahrenheit) hot water during rotation and dries it with 45-degree Celsius hot air after cleaning to reduce bacterial growth.

The Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene wet vacuum, on the other hand, reflects cleaning habits among Korean consumers. Dyson conducted a wet-cleaning study last year involving 23,311 people across 28 countries and found that Koreans spend an average of one hour a day cleaning, with more than 20 minutes devoted to wet cleaning.

Dyson's senior design manager Nathan Lawson McLean introduces wet vacuum Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene at The Hyundai Seoul in Yeongdeungpo District, western Seoul on Jan. 22. [DYSON]

The Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene removes the filter, a common source of odors, and uses a filter-free design that allows it to absorb dust, debris and wet hair. The device can operate while fully reclined, enabling it to reach narrow spaces as small as 11.3 centimeters (4.4 inches).

The Hushjet Purifier Compact air purifier, meanwhile, focuses on reducing operating noise. Dyson designed the product based on the Hush Kit, a noise-reduction system used in aircraft jet engines, and limited noise levels to 19 decibels, which is lower than typical conversation levels of about 60 decibels.

Dyson's air purifier Hushjet Purifier Compact [DYSON]

Dyson priced the Spot+Scrub AI at 1.79 million won ($1,220). The Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene costs 699,000 won and the Hushjet Purifier Compact costs 499,000 won.

The company also emphasized a focus on cleaning performance.

McLean addressed robotic arm features adopted by some competing robot vacuum makers, saying they have limited lifting capability.

He said that vacuums should focus on identifying obstacles and guiding users on what to clear, rather than attempting to pick up and move objects, to complete cleaning more efficiently.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY YI WOO-LIM [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]