[Reporter’s Notebook] Google Demands Korean Maps, but Fair Competition Comes First

"I heard that Google Maps doesn't work in Korea, and indeed, I can't find my way. I can't believe it."

An American tourist appearing in a short-form video uploaded on YouTube showed a perplexed expression. After arriving at Incheon Airport, he searched for directions to his destination using Google Maps, but only public transportation routes appeared; walking or driving routes were not visible. It is widely known among foreign tourists that Google Maps is useless in Korea, and Naver Map or KakaoMap are essential.

Regarding why Google Maps does not operate in Korea, Google claims it is because they have not secured a 1:5000 high-precision map in Korea. Google applied to export high-precision maps in 2007 and 2016 but was rejected by the government, and they applied again this February. The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has also supported Google. On the 31st of last month, in the 'Trade Barriers Report,' they pointed out Korea's refusal to allow map data export as a 'digital trade barrier' and pressured the Korean government to permit map data export.

Domestic tech companies receive and utilize the high-precision maps that Google requests from the government. Yet, only Google is denied access due to underlying reasons. Google wants to take high-precision maps that could infer sensitive national facilities such as military bases to overseas data centers. Google's policy is to store data in data centers worldwide. Google states that it will obscure sensitive national facilities on the map upon government request, but even in that case, the coordinates of the facilities must be provided to Google.

Domestic companies strongly oppose allowing this to Google, calling it reverse discrimination. They argue that Google should build data centers in Korea and store map data there to operate Google Maps normally, but insisting on taking the data overseas suggests a strong intent to avoid corporate taxes. Under current law, companies operating data centers domestically must pay corporate taxes. Part of the corporate taxes paid by companies like Naver, Kakao, and T Map is used for national geographic information improvement projects, including maps. Last year, Naver paid 390.2 billion KRW, and Kakao paid 159 billion KRW in corporate taxes.

Competition should start on an equal footing. Before demanding high-precision maps, Google must clearly address how it will resolve tax discrimination and security issues. Insisting on taking high-precision map data obtained from the Korean government overseas while putting sensitive matters aside cannot be considered fair. The ideal scenario is for Google to store and access high-precision map data in Korean data centers and allow Google Maps to be freely used in Korea. This would bring a strong competitor into the Korean digital map market, creating a 'catfish effect' that stimulates competition. Among countries where Google has entered, the only places where proper navigation with Google Maps is impossible are the Canary Islands and Korea. This cannot be blamed solely on the Korean government. The party that must find a fair starting line on its own is, in fact, Google.