Google Requests Export of High-Precision Map Data Previously Denied Twice
Acting President Han Ducksoo Hints at Possible Approval in Foreign Media Interview
Small Business Groups and Civic Organizations Oppose: "Job Losses Expected"
Industry Urges Decision Separate from Trade Negotiations
As the likelihood increases that the South Korean government may approve Google's request to export high-precision map data, small business owners are voicing their concerns.
According to the IT industry on April 30, on April 22, Acting President and Prime Minister Han Ducksoo, in an interview with The Economist, cited South Korea's restrictions on the export of high-precision map data as an example of non-tariff barriers that could be addressed in ongoing Korea-U.S. negotiations, stating that "there are areas that can be improved." Following this, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Park Sangwoo said, "Relevant ministries are conducting an in-depth review of whether to grant Google permission to export high-precision map data." This has led to speculation that the South Korean government may accept Google's request as part of tariff negotiations with the United States.
Google has requested the export of high-precision map data for the third time this year, following previous requests in 2011 and 2016. The previous two requests were denied on national security grounds. The domestic industry points out that Google insists on exporting the map data to its U.S. headquarters and global data centers without installing data centers or servers in South Korea. They argue that this is an attempt to avoid obligations such as corporate taxes.
In response to these developments, small business owners are opposing the move, saying they will "lose their jobs." On April 30, the Korea Federation of Micro Enterprises issued a statement claiming that "Google has a strategic intention to enter the Korean autonomous driving market in earnest through its subsidiary Waymo," and that "tens of thousands of jobs in small business sectors such as taxi and substitute driving services will be directly affected." The federation also urged the government to deny Google's request, warning that "this could amount to handing over a critical national asset in its entirety."
The Seoul Taxi Association also stated, "If driverless robotaxis become practical, the taxi industry will inevitably suffer direct damage," and emphasized the urgent need for legal and institutional improvements, as well as measures to promote coexistence, to minimize the impact on the taxi industry. The Seoul Metropolitan Government has also conveyed to the central government the industry's concerns that not only mapping, but also the domestic location-based services market and jobs in areas such as autonomous driving and taxis, will inevitably be affected.
The civic group Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice also issued a statement the previous day, declaring, "The government's top priority must be digital sovereignty and national security," and that "allowing foreign operators to export map data amounts to selling out digital sovereignty and threatening national security." The group called on the government to reject the export of high-precision map data.
In fact, according to the domestic industry, if Google's stated purpose is to provide services such as navigation for foreign tourists, the currently available 1:25,000 scale maps are sufficient. The 1:5,000 scale high-precision maps are detailed enough to be used for urban planning, social overhead capital (SOC) construction, and autonomous driving. The industry believes that Google intends to use the data for purposes beyond its mapping services.
An industry official stated, "Compared to the previous two export attempts, the importance of spatial data has grown significantly as related industries such as autonomous driving, digital twins, and smart cities have advanced." The official added, "Exporting high-precision map data could result in South Korea's advanced industries becoming dependent on foreign entities from the outset, so this decision should be made cautiously and separately from trade negotiations."
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