Google has expressed willingness to follow South Korea’s strict national security rules while seeking approval to export high-precision map data. The issue has triggered public and political debate, highlighting tensions over digital sovereignty and foreign tech operations.
Cris Turner, Google’s vice president of government affairs, said the company will remove sensitive latitude and longitude coordinates for places in Korea. He emphasized that the move demonstrates Google’s commitment to comply with government guidelines while pursuing its business goals.
At the center of the dispute is Google’s request to export the country’s 1:5,000 scale national base map. This map, developed by Korea’s National Geographic Information Institute, underpins most domestic navigation and mapping services. Google argues that 1:5,000 scale maps are necessary to implement local navigation effectively and support autonomous driving ventures like Waymo.
Turner reassured officials that the map contains no classified military information and has passed multiple government security evaluations. Google previously agreed to blur satellite imagery of key military sites, further demonstrating compliance.
Despite concessions, Korean authorities insist that all geospatial data exports must follow strict security rules. Officials require strategic infrastructure concealment and the omission of sensitive coordinates. Experts note that Korea’s 1:5,000 map offers unusually high spatial resolution, compared with the 1:25,000 standard used by most advanced nations, including the UK, France, Germany, and Japan.
Korea also maintains 1:1,000 and 1:500 scale datasets. These highly detailed maps allow officials to identify buildings, roads, and alleyways accurately. Such precision supports defense planning, urban development, autonomous vehicles, smart cities, and digital twins. The government invests heavily to maintain this advanced geospatial infrastructure.
Many officials remain skeptical due to Google’s refusal to establish a local data center. Without domestic servers, Google does not report Korean revenue figures, raising concerns over tax transparency and regulatory oversight. The company generates nearly 30 percent of the country’s internet traffic but pays no domestic network usage fees, a point of tension with local IT companies.
The South Korea Google map dispute has delayed approvals, as authorities continue evaluating security and regulatory implications. Meanwhile, local platforms like Naver Map and Kakao Map strengthen their positions. Naver Map focuses on hyperlocal content and AI-powered reviews, while Kakao Map enhances real-time traffic and routing services for daily commuters and tourists.
Industry experts say the South Korea Google map dispute underscores the importance of regulatory oversight to protect digital sovereignty. Companies seeking access to the country’s geospatial data must balance innovation with compliance to national security requirements.
Overall, the South Korea Google map dispute reflects ongoing tensions between global tech ambitions and domestic security priorities. Authorities emphasize compliance, local infrastructure, and responsible data management.
