Applications from Foreign Companies Like Apple Expected to Follow
Government: "Approval Will Be Suspended or Revoked If Google Fails to Meet Conditions"
Concerns are mounting in the domestic mapping industry following the government's decision to approve Google’s request to export high-precision maps overseas. Academia believes that trade pressure played a key role in the government’s prompt acceptance of Google’s application, and anticipates that this decision will likely lead to a series of similar export requests from other foreign companies, including those from China.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 27th that a meeting of the “Consultative Body on the Overseas Export of Survey Results” was held at the National Geographic Information Institute in Yeongtong-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, and it was decided to conditionally approve the export of 1:5,000 scale high-precision maps overseas.
The consultative body is responsible for reviewing and deciding on the export of map information overseas, and its members include officials from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Ministry of National Defense, the National Intelligence Service, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Unification, the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
Currently, Google is using 1:5,000 scale map data from SK T Map, which has already passed the government’s security review. Now that the export of maps has been approved, Google is expected to integrate and utilize the high-precision maps provided by the government in its own services.
Google immediately welcomed the decision by the Korean government. Chris Turner, Vice President for Public Policy and Knowledge & Information at Google, stated, “We sincerely welcome the Korean government’s decision to approve the export of map data,” emphasizing, “This is a significant step forward, and Google looks forward to developing concrete service implementation plans and working closely with the government and local partners to support Korea’s growth.”
Previously, in February last year, Google applied to the government for the export of high-precision maps at a 1:5,000 scale. The consultative body postponed its decision twice, and when the deadline for a conclusion under current regulations came in November last year, it requested Google to submit a supplementary application within 60 days due to incomplete documentation. This was the first time in history that a decision on the export of map data by a foreign company was postponed three times. Google had also applied for the export of high-precision maps from Korea in 2007 and 2016, but both requests were rejected on national security grounds.
Export Approval Driven by US Trade Pressure
Initially, the domestic industry predicted that the export of high-precision maps to Google would not be allowed. Google complied with government requirements such as blurring security facilities like military sites and omitting coordinate data, but did not accept the condition to establish a data center in Korea. Google has consistently refused, stating that it needs further review before deciding to set up a domestic data center. Establishing and operating a data center in Korea would require Google to pay corporate taxes under relevant laws.
The government’s decision to reverse and approve the export of high-precision maps appears to have been influenced by trade pressure from the United States. When the US Supreme Court ruled that reciprocal tariffs were illegal, the Trump administration invoked Section 301 of the Trade Act, also known as the “Super 301,” which authorizes the administration to impose tariffs or other measures in response to foreign governments’ unfair, unreasonable, or discriminatory actions, policies, or practices that restrict or burden US trade. Restricting the export of high-precision maps to Google could be seen as unfair treatment of an American company.
An official from the platform industry commented, “Since the US government has consistently criticized Korea’s restrictions on map data exports as a digital trade barrier, issues related to tariffs and trade likely influenced the decision.”
The Ministry of Science and ICT stated in a press release that it would require Google to station a dedicated map officer in Korea and would work to respond efficiently to security incidents through a constant communication channel with the government. Before the overseas export of maps, the government and Google will jointly establish a “Security Incident Prevention and Response Framework” to handle and manage potential security issues, and will prepare technical measures (“red button”) for immediate action in the event of imminent or specific threats to national security.
The ministry added, “The government will verify the data before export, and if Google or others fail to meet the conditions in a sustained or serious manner, we will suspend or revoke the approval, ensuring thorough management of compliance with the conditions.”
Industry Concerns: “No Grounds to Refuse Other Overseas Companies”
With Google having secured approval for the overseas export of high-precision maps, it is expected that other foreign companies will follow suit with similar applications. Apple also applied for the export of high-precision maps in June last year and has requested additional time to supplement its application. An industry insider commented, “Once data is exported to a foreign company, it cannot be reversed, so exports to other companies will inevitably follow,” adding, “There will be no grounds to refuse requests from Chinese companies as well as American firms like Google and Apple.”
Some in the industry have also called for an overhaul of the high-precision map export process, as it is anticipated that global big tech companies will continue to request the export of such data. Suggestions include clearly stipulating the requirements for exporting high-precision maps in law or elevating the status of the consultative body that decides on export approvals.
Meanwhile, the National Assembly Research Service issued a report last year stating that “it is necessary to consider stipulating the criteria for overseas export approval (of map data) in law,” diagnosing that “key issues such as blurring major national facilities, deleting coordinates, and building domestic servers should be included as approval criteria in the Spatial Information Management Act and its subordinate laws.” The research service also advised that, given the importance of map export reviews, the rank of members of the consultative body should be raised from the current director level to vice-ministerial level.
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