South Korea is opening the door to allowing Google Maps to work fully

After years of appeals, Google has finally received conditional approval to export high-resolution geographic information out of South Korea, a move that opens the door to allowing the company to offer proper Google Maps services in the country, such as real-time walking and driving directions.

The move reflects a long-standing policy on data caps that has rendered Google Maps and Apple Maps non-functional in the country. Google has so far provided mapping services in South Korea using high-resolution map data at a scale of 1:5,000, but without the ability to export that data to its servers, the company has been unable to offer features such as turn-by-turn navigation or detailed listings of businesses.

South Korea has resisted Google’s pleas since 2011, arguing that the company’s accurate satellite maps could jeopardize national security by revealing sensitive military sites when combined with commercial images and online data. Given that South Korea is still technically at war with North Korea, the government is cautious about exposing such sites, and has so far required Google to set up a data center in the country and block sensitive sites.

The green light comes with strict rules designed to protect military sites and sensitive infrastructure sites. The South Korean government will verify compliance before any data leaves the country; Any images of South Korean territory used in Google Maps and Google Earth must comply with national security regulations; Historical images in Google Earth and Street View should obscure sensitive military sites. Google is also required to remove or restrict coordinate data for South Korean locations, and only basic data for navigation and orientation can be exported.

The government also requires that all data processing take place on servers managed by Google’s local partners. Sensitive topographical and military data remains off limits, and any updates to military or security locations must be performed immediately on local servers upon government request.

Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The move will undoubtedly shake up Korea’s local mapping market, which has seen local navigation apps like Naver Map, T Map, and Kakao Map flourish in the relative absence of providers like Google or Apple.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said in its announcement that the decision was influenced by its intention to boost tourism in the country – since Google Maps has so far proven somewhat useless in Korea, tourists have been forced to rely on local apps, whether they offer English language support or not.

The ministry said the move also aims to boost the country’s geospatial industry by supporting the development of high-resolution and 3D infrastructure and geo-artificial intelligence technologies. The government is urging Google to help grow South Korea’s geospatial industry so that data exports not only benefit the tech giant but also local innovation and economic growth.

Google has not yet announced whether it will establish a data center in South Korea. The company operates a group of data centers in Asia, including Singapore, Taiwan, Japan, Thailand and Malaysia.

The government has also set new procedures to deal with potential security incidents related to the export of high-resolution maps. The ministry said it would work with Google to create a “security incident prevention and response framework” to manage potential risks before any data leaves the country. For situations involving imminent threats to national security, a technical “red button” mechanism will be implemented, allowing rapid response to emergency situations.

In addition, South Korea will require a local officer stationed in the country to maintain constant communication with the government and ensure the smooth handling of any security incidents.