Google Maps Unlocks Korea After 20 Years…Domestic Map Platforms on High Alert

After nearly 20 years of restrictions, Google's domestic high-precision map export has received final approval. With the global tech giant poised for a full-scale offensive, South Korea's map and mobility industries have been put on alert.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 13th that it held a meeting of the 'Basic Geodetic Survey Export Coordination Body' comprising government agencies and private experts, and confirmed the implementation of security conditions for Google's 1:5,000 scale map export, which had been conditionally approved in February. This marks the first time a foreign company has been permitted to export high-precision maps abroad.

Since 2007, Google has been requesting export of 1:5,000 scale maps, which compress actual 50-meter streets to 1 centimeter, to enable smooth route-finding services. However, the government maintained its position of non-approval, citing threats to national security, while Google refused the government's core security demands on the basis of global service consistency, resulting in a stalemate.

A turning point came in early this year. In February, Google submitted technical supplementary measures, leading the government to grant conditional approval, and after Google submitted its final implementation report on the 4th, the coordination body gave final approval.

Following the review, Google has implemented all security conditions presented by the government. Google completed △blurring of military and security facilities in satellite imagery, aerial photography, and past time-series imagery △deletion of Street View within 50 meters of facility boundaries △restriction measures on coordinate display of Korean territory.

Instead of the disputed domestic data center installation, Google adopted a method whereby domestic partner companies process data on domestic servers and supply it, while limiting export targets to basic background maps necessary for route-finding and traffic network data such as road networks and lane numbers.

A post-management system has also been established. The president of Google Korea will serve as a dedicated map manager, and immediate measures must be taken within one business day in case of security incidents. The government plans to continuously monitor the export process and suspend or revoke permission if significant condition violations are confirmed.

With this measure, full-scale Google Maps pedestrian and vehicle route-finding and navigation services are expected to begin in Korea as early as next year. While the convenience of movement for visiting foreign tourists is expected to improve significantly, domestic platforms such as Naver Map, Kakao Map, and Tmap, which have effectively monopolized the market, now face the challenging task of maintaining market share.

In particular, the industry believes that if Google's vast global data and artificial intelligence ecosystem combine with domestic geospatial information services, a paradigm shift across the mobility and local commerce markets will be inevitable. Google stated, "We are grateful to the Republic of Korea's government, and we look forward to launching a complete Google Maps service in Korea now that we have met the requirements."