South Korea allows Google to export map data after years of frustration

South Korea’s government says it will allow Google to export detailed mapping data of the country to overseas servers under certain security requirements

SEOUL, South Korea -- South Korea’s government on Friday said it will allow Google to export detailed mapping data of the country to overseas servers under certain security requirements, responding to years of frustration by foreign travelers who found that Google Maps didn’t work effectively in the country.

After a review by government officials and private experts, authorities approved Google’s request to export 1:5,000-scale, high-precision map data on the condition that it implements security safeguards, such as limiting transfers to data necessary for navigation services and excluding contour lines and other sensitive information.

Google will have to process the data first on domestic servers and receive government clearance before exporting it, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said. Officials also required Google to remove coordinates from South Korean territory and blur satellite and aerial images of military and other sensitive sites in time-series services such as Google Earth and Street View.

Google will be required to employ a compliance officer in South Korea to handle map export issues, and the government may suspend or revoke the approval if the company fails to comply with the conditions, the ministry said.

In an e-mailed statement, Cris Turner, Google’s vice president of government affairs and public policy, said the company “welcomes today’s decision and looks forward to ongoing collaboration with local officials to bring fully functioning Google Maps to Korea.”

South Korean officials for years rejected Google’s request to export detailed mapping data, citing national security concerns and the need to keep sensitive geographic information on domestic servers. The restrictions have made South Korea one of the few countries where the globally dominant Google Maps has limited use, with locals mostly relying on the services of South Korean internet companies like Naver and Kakao.

Critics cite complaints from foreign visitors to argue that the restrictions may be hurting tourism as South Korea seeks to position itself as a major global travel destination.

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