South Korea is nearing a decision on whether to allow Google and Apple to export high-resolution geographic map data to servers outside the country. The detailed maps, which use a 1:5,000 scale, would show streets, buildings, and alleyways in far greater detail than currently available on these platforms. However, several regulatory and security hurdles remain unresolved.
Earlier this week, South Korea’s National Assembly Defense Committee held a parliamentary audit of Google Korea. Lawmakers questioned the company’s requests for local map data, raising concerns over national security and digital sovereignty. The session comes two months after Seoul postponed its decision on Google’s request to export high-resolution map data in August, following an earlier delay in May.
A policymaker has warned that Google’s satellite maps could endanger national security by exposing sensitive military sites when combined with commercial imagery and online data. The lawmaker is urging the government to gain authority to monitor and regulate the export of high-resolution geographic information. Given that South Korea remains technically at war with North Korea, the government is cautious about exposing such locations.
The government’s final decision on Google Maps is expected around November 11, or possibly even earlier, a South Korean government official told TechCrunch. Last month, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced it would extend the review period by an additional 60 days.
In February, Google requested, for the third time in South Korea, permission from the Korean National Geographic Information Institute to use a 1:5,000 scale map, which provides much greater details, in its app and to transfer the map data to servers outside of South Korea. Currently, Google uses a 1:25,000 scale map that includes points of interest and satellite imagery. Local navigation apps such as Naver Map, T Map, and Kakao Map are the most popular among local users. These apps offer map data at a scale of 1:5,000, and therefore, much more information and detail, giving them a significant competitive advantage.
In 2011 and again in 2016, South Korean authorities turned down Google’s request for access to the country’s map data. Officials made clear that approval would hinge on the company opening a local data center and obscuring sensitive locations, including national security sites, citing security concerns. Google declined to meet these conditions.
After South Korea rejected approval in August, Google reportedly agreed to obscure the locations of the country’s security sites on Google Maps and Google Earth. The company is blurring sensitive installations to address government concerns over satellite imagery and is reportedly exploring the purchase of government-approved satellite data from local providers, including T Map.
Techcrunch event DISRUPT FLASH SALE: Save up to $624 until Oct 17 Netflix, Microsoft, Box, Phia, a16z, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Hugging Face, Elad Gil, Vinod Khosla — some of the 250+ heavy hitters leading 200+ sessions designed to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Grab your ticket before Oct 17 to save up to $624. DISRUPT FLASH SALE: Save up to $624 until Oct 17 Netflix, Microsoft, Box, Phia, a16z, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Hugging Face, Elad Gil, Vinod Khosla — some of the 250+ heavy hitters leading 200+ sessions designed to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Grab your ticket before Oct 17 to save up to $624. San Francisco | REGISTER NOW
Google did not immediately respond to a TechCrunch request for comment.
Under South Korea’s Geospatial Information Management Act (Article 16), government survey data — such as maps and satellite images — cannot be sent abroad without approval from the entire Cabinet. Passed in the 1970s, the law continues to underpin the country’s strict control over geospatial data.
... continue reading