After years of appeals, Google has finally received conditional approval to export high-precision geographic information from South Korea, a move that opens the door to allow the company to provide proper Google Maps services in the country, such as real-time walking and driving directions.
The move reverses a longstanding policy on data caps that had effectively rendered Google Maps and Apple Maps unworkable in the country. Google has so far provided map services in South Korea using high-resolution, 1:5,000 scale map data, but without the ability to export that data to its servers, the company would not be able to offer features such as detailed navigation or detailed listings for businesses.
South Korea has resisted Google’s appeals since 2011, arguing that the company’s precise satellite maps could endanger national security by exposing sensitive military sites when combined with commercial images and online data. Since South Korea remains technically at war with North Korea, the government is cautious about disclosing such sites and has until now asked Google to set up a data center in the country and hide sensitive sites.
The green light is accompanied by strict rules designed to protect sensitive military sites and infrastructure. The South Korean government will verify compliance before data leaves the country. any images of the territory of South Korea used in Google Maps and Google Earth must comply with national security regulations. and historical imagery in Google Earth and Street View must mask sensitive military sites. Google is also required to either remove or restrict coordinate data for South Korean locations, and only basic data for navigation and routing can be exported.
The government also requires that all data processing be done on servers operated by local Google partners. Sensitive topographical and military data remain off-limits, and any updates to military or security websites must be made immediately to domestic servers upon government request.
Google did not immediately return a request for comment.
The move will no doubt send ripples through Korea’s domestic map market, which has seen local navigation apps like Naver Map, T Map and Kakao Map thrive in the absence of providers like Google or Apple.
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In its announcement, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said the decision was influenced by its intention to boost tourism in the country — because Google Maps has so far proved a little useless in Korea, tourists have had to rely on local apps, whether they offer English language support or not.
The ministry said the move also aims to boost the country’s geospatial industry by supporting the development of high-precision technologies, 3D infrastructure and geographic artificial intelligence. The government is urging Google to help develop South Korea’s geospatial industry so that exporting the data benefits not only the tech giant, but also domestic innovation and economic growth.
Google has not yet said whether it will build a data center in South Korea. The company is operating a number of data centers in Asia, including Singapore, Taiwan, Japan, Thailand and Malaysia.
The government also outlined new measures to handle potential security incidents related to the export of high-resolution maps. The ministry said it would work with Google to create a “security incident prevention and response framework” to manage potential risks before data leaves the country. For situations involving imminent threats to national security, a technical “red button” mechanism will be implemented to allow rapid emergency response.
In addition, South Korea will require a local officer to be stationed in the country to maintain constant communication with the government and ensure that any security incidents are dealt with smoothly.
