Seoul: The government has conditionally approved Google's request to transfer high-precision map data of South Korea to its overseas facilities. This decision comes with stipulations aimed at addressing security concerns.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, responsible for national mapping policy, reached this decision after consultations with officials from various ministries, including foreign and defense. The approval requires Google to adhere to strict security guidelines, which involve masking sensitive facilities and restricting exposure of precise coordinates, as well as using local servers for data processing.
This development follows two previous denials by the Seoul government in 2007 and 2016 due to security issues. The United States had previously identified restrictions on high-precision map data as a trade barrier. Google's latest request was filed in February 2025, aiming to transfer 1:5,000-scale map data to its international data centers.
Google has indicated its compliance with South Korea's security demands by agreeing to remove coordinate data for South Korea and blur images of sensitive facilities. Currently, Google uses publicly available 1:25,000-scale map data paired with aerial and satellite imagery for its South Korean maps. The tech company asserts that government-supplied map data is crucial for offering comprehensive mapping services, such as vehicle navigation and driving directions, in South Korea, which ranks among the most technologically advanced nations globally.