South Korea approves Google request to export map data under security conditions

On Friday, South Korea's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport approved Google's request to export 1:5,000-scale high-precision map data to overseas servers, ending a policy that had restricted such transfers since at least 2007. The approval is conditional: Google must process raw data on domestic servers first, obtain government clearance before export, blur images of military and sensitive facilities, remove coordinate data for South Korean territory, and exclude contour lines and other sensitive geographic information from transfer. Google must also employ a compliance officer in South Korea, and the government retains authority to suspend or revoke approval if conditions are violated.

The restrictions had made South Korea one of the few countries where Google Maps lacks full functionality — it cannot provide real-time driving directions, walking navigation, or detailed business listings. South Koreans and visitors have instead relied on domestic mapping services from Naver and Kakao. Google first requested map data export in 2007, with subsequent rejections in 2016, all citing national security concerns related to South Korea's technical state of war with North Korea.

The reversal follows trade pressure from the United States, which has characterized the restrictions as discriminatory against U.S. tech companies and a non-tariff trade barrier. Google submitted its latest request in February 2025, this time expressing willingness to accept South Korea's security requirements. The decision is expected to enable full Google Maps functionality while potentially challenging the dominance of domestic mapping services.

No source provides detail on what specific security incidents or intelligence assessments, if any, informed South Korea's original restrictions or this reversal. The actual technical mechanisms for how Google will "blur" sensitive sites or "remove coordinates" while still providing navigation services are not explained. Whether the domestic data processing requirement will meaningfully limit Google's ability to integrate Korean map data with its global infrastructure is unclear. The articles do not address whether Naver and Kakao operate under the same export restrictions or if they benefit from regulatory advantages beyond data residency. The potential economic impact on domestic mapping companies and whether they opposed this decision is not covered.