South Korea Approves Google's High-Precision Map Data Transfer with Security Measures
Government Decision on Google’s Map Data Transfer
Seoul, Feb 27: On Friday, the South Korean government announced its approval for Google to transfer high-precision map data, which is supplied by the government, to its international facilities. This decision is subject to additional measures aimed at addressing security concerns.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, responsible for the national mapping policy, reached this conclusion after discussions with officials from various ministries, including foreign affairs and defense, as reported by a local news agency.
In February 2025, Google submitted a request to transfer 1:5,000-scale high-precision map data to its overseas data centers.
Earlier this month, the tech giant provided supplementary information regarding its request to the ministry.
This additional information reportedly satisfied most of the government's requirements, such as measures to obscure sensitive domestic security sites and limit the visibility of exact coordinates.
The documents also included technical details on how Google plans to handle and process the map data in the future. However, they did not outline any specific plans for establishing a data center in South Korea, according to sources.
Currently, Google utilizes publicly accessible 1:25,000-scale map data along with aerial and satellite imagery for its mapping services in South Korea. The U.S. has previously identified restrictions on high-precision map data as a significant non-tariff barrier.
Google had made similar requests to export high-precision map data in 2007 and 2016, but both were denied by South Korea due to national security concerns regarding the potential exposure of military installations and other sensitive sites.
In November, a government advisory panel requested that Google submit revised documents by February 5, pausing the review process until that date.
The panel noted that Google had shown a willingness to meet South Korea's security requirements, including the removal of coordinate data for the country from its maps, but these measures were not reflected in the initial documents submitted.