Approval Mandates Removal of Coordinates and Domestic Processing, Easing US Tariff Tension
South Korea has granted approval for Google to export detailed map data overseas, potentially resolving a long-standing digital trade dispute with the United States. The decision, announced on Friday, follows years of debate over national security concerns and data access.
The interagency review body responsible for geographic data exports has authorized Google to export 1:5,000-scale map data under strict security protocols, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. This scale mirrors the standard used by popular domestic mapping services like Naver Maps and Kakao Map.
Google’s initial request for this data dates back to 2007. The South Korean government previously rejected subsequent bids in 2016, citing ongoing national security concerns related to the armistice with North Korea. A third request, submitted in February 2025, faced multiple delays before Friday’s final decision.
This approval paves the way for Google to finally offer turn-by-turn driving and walking navigation within South Korea, a feature previously unavailable.
Security Conditions Include Key Concessions
The review body, composed of representatives from various ministries including National Defense, Foreign Affairs, Science and Trade, and the National Intelligence Service, has imposed five specific conditions on the data export, as detailed in the government press release.
Notably, the government has dropped its earlier requirement for Google to establish and maintain its own data center within South Korea. Instead, raw map data will be processed on domestic servers managed by a local partner. Only government-vetted information, limited to base maps and transportation networks, will be permitted for transfer.
Furthermore, coordinates for South Korean territory must be either removed or restricted from Google Maps and Google Earth’s global services. All satellite and aerial imagery, including historical archives and street view, will undergo processing to obscure sensitive military and strategic facilities. Contour data is entirely excluded from export. Google must also implement a “red button” system for national security emergencies and assign a dedicated map affairs officer based in Korea.
The government reserves the right to suspend or revoke the approval if these conditions are not met.
The Timing: US Trade Leverage
The decision is not attributed to any fundamental shift in the security or tax considerations, but rather is seen to be as a result of growing pressure from the United States regarding trade.
The Office of the US Trade Representative has consistently highlighted South Korea’s restrictions on location-based data exports as a significant non-tariff barrier, characterizing Korea as “the only market in the world” imposing such limitations. A joint statement from the November 2025 bilateral summit committed to “facilitate cross-border transfers of information, including location data.”
Recent local media reports indicate that this issue had become a major sticking point delaying the Korea-US FTA Joint Committee, with Washington potentially linking progress on non-tariff barriers to the withdrawal of threatened 25 percent “reciprocal” tariffs.
The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea has expressed its approval of the decision, with Chairman James Kim describing it as “a constructive step toward enhancing Korea’s competitiveness as a global digital powerhouse.”
Domestic Opposition Remains
“Korea invests 150 billion won annually through the National Geographic Information Institute in producing high-precision maps. The idea of freely handing that data over to a foreign company, without compensation, is illogical,” stated Wi Gwang-jae, an official at a mapping and surveying firm, in an interview with KBS on Friday.
As of February 2025, Naver Map led domestic map app usage with approximately 70 percent market share, followed by T Map at 37.6 percent and Kakao Map at 27.6 percent, with significant overlap among users. During a government consultation in March 2025, Naver, Kakao, and TmapMobility argued that granting Google access to the same base data would allow the company to replicate their core services without making similar domestic investments.
In an earlier interview with The Korea Herald, Yoo Ki-yoon, former director of the National Geographic Information Institute and a Seoul National University professor of spatial engineering, characterized the situation more as an economic matter than a security concern, noting that Google’s hesitation to invest in local server infrastructure was likely driven by tax considerations, rather than technical limitations.
Cris Turner, Google’s vice president for government affairs, stated that the company “sincerely welcomes” the decision. The review body, in turn, recommended that Google contribute to the development of Korea’s spatial data industry and balanced regional growth.
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