Seoul weighs approval for Google, Apple high-resolution map requests

Summary

South Korea is nearing a decision on whether to allow Google and Apple to export high-resolution geographic map data to servers outside the country. The detailed maps, which use a 1:5,000 scale, would show streets, buildings, and alleyways in far greater detail than currently available on these platforms. However, several regulatory and security hurdles remain unresolved. Earlier this week, South Korea’s National Assembly Defense Committee held a parliamentary audit of Google Korea. Lawmakers questioned the company’s requests for local map data, raising concerns over national security and digital sovereignty. The session comes two months after Seoul postponed its decision on Google’s request to export high-resolution map data in August, following an earlier delay in May. A policymaker has warned that Google’s satellite maps could endanger national security by exposing sensitive military sites when combined with commercial imagery and online data. The lawmaker is urging the government to gain authority to monitor and regulate the export of high-resolution geographic information. Given that South Korea remains technically at war with North Korea, the government is cautious about exposing such locations. The government’s final decision on Google Maps is expected around November 11, or possibly even earlier, a South Korean government official told TechCrunch. Last month, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced it would extend the review period by an additional 60 days. In February, Google requested, for the third time in South Korea, permission from the Korean National Geographic Information Institute to use a 1:5,000 scale map, which provides much greater details, in its app and to transfer the map data to servers outside of South Korea. Currently, Google uses a 1:25,000 scale map that includes points of interest and satellite imagery. Local navigation apps such as Naver Map, T Map, and Kakao Map are the most popular among local users. These apps o...