In a groundbreaking moment for South Korea, the android robot EveR 6 assumed the role of conductor during a performance by the country's national orchestra in Seoul.

Created by the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, this two-armed robot, featuring a humanoid face, made its debut at the National Theater of Korea.

The robot captivated the audience as it began the show by bowing and then skillfully directing the musicians with its arm movements, controlling the tempo of the live performance.

“Movements by a conductor are very detailed,” Choi Soo-yeoul, who led Friday’s performance alongside the robot, said.

“The robot was able to present such detailed moves much better than I had imagined.”

According to Choi, a "critical weakness" of EveR 6 is its inability to listen. While the robot's movements were flawless in maintaining the rhythm, Lee Young-ju, an audience member knowledgeable in traditional Korean music, noted that it lacked the essence of "breath" - the capacity to keep the orchestra synchronized and responsive, which is vital in a performance.

Lee emphasized that collective and immediate engagement is essential for a successful orchestral presentation.

“It seemed there was some work to be done for the robot to do the job,” Lee said.