Allows Google to export map data

लगानी न्यूज

१५ फाल्गुन २०८२, शुक्रबार १८:०८February 27, 2026

Kathmandu. South Korea has conditionally allowed Google to export the country’s high-precision map data to foreign servers. The government’s decision on Friday paves the way for the full operation of Google Maps in South Korea.

According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Google’s request to export detailed mapping data on the scale of 1:5,000 was approved after a review by government officials and private experts.TAG_OPEN_div_22 However, the ministry clarified that the permission was granted on the condition that only a limited amount of data needed for navigation services could be transferred, that sensitive details such as height should not be included, and additional security measures would be taken.

According to the ministry, Google will have to process the data on servers within South Korea in the first phase and then export it with government approval.TAG_OPEN_div_20 The government also demanded that South Korea’s terrain be scrapped with precise coordinates and blurred satellite and aerial images of military and other sensitive sites on time-series services such as Google Earth and Street View.

The government has instructed Google to appoint a compliance officer in South Korea to manage issues related to map data exports.TAG_OPEN_div_18 If the conditions are not followed, the approval can be suspended or canceled.

Chris Turner, Google’s vice president of government affairs and public policy, said in an emailed statement that the company “welcomes today’s decision” and “looks forward to continuing to work with local authorities to make Google Maps fully functional in South Korea.”TAG_OPEN_div_16

South Korea has for years rejected Google’s request for a detailed data export request because of national security concerns and a policy requiring sensitive geographic information to be stored on domestic servers.TAG_OPEN_div_14 The ban makes South Korea one of the few countries where the use of Google Maps, which is popular globally, is limited. As a result, local users often relied on the services of homegrown Internet companies, such as Naver and Kakao.

Critics argue that the ban has sparked discontent among foreign visitors and negatively impacted the tourism sector.TAG_OPEN_div_12 At a time when South Korea is trying to establish itself as a major international travel destination, the limited use of Google Maps may have had a direct impact, they said.