Twenty years of negotiations finally result in a "technical compromise": South Korea approves Google(GOOGL.US) map data export

The Good Finance APP has learned that South Korea approved Google’s (GOOGL.US) request on Friday to export high-precision map data to overseas servers. This marks a significant shift after twenty years of rejection, clearing the way for this American tech giant to enter a market dominated by domestic apps.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of South Korea stated in a release that the approval was made “under strict security requirements.”

The statement mentioned that the conditions include anonymizing military and other sensitive security-related facilities, as well as restricting the display of Korean territorial coordinates on products like Google Maps and Google Earth.

Additionally, Google must process map data on local servers and is only permitted to export data related to government-approved navigation and directions services.

The ministry also added that the South Korean government reserves the right to require Google to revise maps, and Google must establish a security incident prevention framework to address potential emergencies.

Looking back at this long-standing tug-of-war, the “cat-and-mouse game” between Google and the South Korean government dates back to 2007. It is understood that South Korea is one of the few countries where Google Maps cannot operate normally, allowing domestic companies like Naver and Kakao to dominate digital map services.

For a long time, South Korean officials have refused to store high-precision geographic data on overseas servers, citing the Geospatial Information Act and national security concerns, fearing that such detailed information could be exploited to threaten defense deployments and military secrets related to North Korea.

Although Google launched a large-scale public relations campaign and resubmitted a formal application in 2016, it was still strongly rejected by the South Korean government for refusing to establish data centers in Korea and for not concealing sensitive facilities in satellite maps.

However, after 2026, the two sides reached a key technical compromise through multiple closed-door negotiations. It is widely believed that, besides technical concessions, the policy shift was driven by increasing trade and diplomatic pressures.

Notably, the Office of the United States Trade Representative has previously publicly accused South Korea’s map data restrictions of constituting a de facto non-tariff trade barrier.