South Korea approved Google’s request to export high-precision map data, ending a dispute spanning nearly 20 years. This decision enables full Google Maps functionality, including real-time driving and walking directions. Previously, national security concerns restricted the export of 1:5,000 scale map data.
The government imposed strict security conditions on the approval. Google must blur sensitive military facilities and process raw data on domestic servers before export.
This regulatory shift threatens the market dominance of local providers Naver and Kakao. The move also resolves a long-standing digital trade friction between South Korea and the United States.