South Korea's government and private companies are restricting the use of the Chinese artificial intelligence service DeepSeek following similar moves by other countries.

Government offices, including the foreign and defense ministries, have blocked access to the generative AI model.

The defense ministry says most of its work is carried out on an intranet that is separate from external networks. It acknowledges that some tasks require internet access but recognizes there are security concerns regarding DeepSeek.

The ministry added that it will continue to coordinate with relevant ministries to address the matter.

South Korea's Yonhap News Agency says the Ministry of the Interior and Safety sent a letter to central and local governments, urging caution when using AI services like DeepSeek and ChatGPT, developed by a US firm.

Major financial institutions and private firms are also restricting the use of DeepSeek.

The government's Personal Information Protection Commission says it has contacted DeepSeek's headquarters to inquire about the Chinese firm's usage and storage of personal information.

At a news conference on Friday, the commission called on the public to be aware of security concerns and to use the service with caution.