South Korean Government to Rule on Google’s Persistent Request for Map Data
The South Korean government is expected to announce a final decision this week regarding Google’s long-standing request to export high-resolution map data out of the country. This ruling will determine whether the tech giant can finally offer full-scale Google Maps services, including driving dir...
South Korean Government to Rule on Google’s Persistent Request for Map Data
The South Korean government is expected to announce a final decision this week regarding Google’s long-standing request to export high-resolution map data out of the country. This ruling will determine whether the tech giant can finally offer full-scale Google Maps services, including driving directions, which have been restricted for years due to national security concerns.
Key Points
- Impending Decision: A government committee is set to meet this week to finalize a verdict on Google's application for detailed geographic data.
- National Security Concerns: South Korea prohibits the export of high-resolution map data to foreign companies unless they agree to blur or hide sensitive military and government installations.
- Service Limitations: Due to current restrictions, Google Maps in South Korea lacks essential features like turn-by-turn driving navigation and high-quality 3D rendering.
- Precedent of Refusal: Google’s previous attempts to acquire this data, dating back to 2016, were rejected by Seoul because the company refused to censor sensitive sites on its global satellite imagery.
A Decades-Long Standoff Over Mapping
For over a decade, Google and the South Korean government have been at an impasse regarding the use of domestic mapping data. Under South Korean law, specifically the Act on the Establishment and Management of Spatial Data, exporting high-precision map data (1:5,000 scale) to overseas servers is strictly prohibited.
The government maintains that providing this data to a global platform like Google would compromise national security. Because Google’s satellite imagery already shows sensitive locations—such as military bases and the presidential office—Seoul argues that combining that imagery with high-resolution map data would provide adversaries with precise coordinates for potential strikes.
Security Requirements vs. Global Standards
The South Korean government has previously offered to grant the request on the condition that Google removes or blurs sensitive facilities from its global satellite maps. However, Google has consistently declined this "conditional approval." The company argues that its satellite imagery is sourced from commercial providers outside of South Korean jurisdiction and that it follows global standards for open information access.
As a result of this deadlock, Google Maps users in South Korea experience a "skeleton" version of the app. While local competitors like Naver and Kakao provide comprehensive navigation services, Google is currently forced to use lower-resolution data and cannot offer walking or driving directions natively within the country.
Economic and Technological Implications
The upcoming decision is viewed as a pivotal moment for South Korea’s digital landscape. Proponents of granting the request argue that the lack of full Google Maps functionality inconveniences foreign tourists and hinders the growth of the "Internet of Things" (IoT) and autonomous driving industries, which often rely on Google’s cross-border platforms.
Conversely, domestic tech firms and security hawks argue that local companies should not be disadvantaged by a foreign entity that refuses to comply with local security mandates. The council, which includes officials from the ministries of land, foreign affairs, and defense, as well as the National Intelligence Service, will weigh these economic benefits against the persistent threat posed by regional tensions.