South Korea delays decision on letting Google move hi-res map data overseas
South Korea has once again postponed a decision on whether to approve Google’s request to transfer high-precision map data on the country’s geography to its international servers.
In February, Google had requested approval from the Korean National Geographic Information Institute to deploy a 1:5,000 scale map on its app in the country and also transfer that data to its servers abroad, a spokesperson for the South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport confirmed to TechCrunch.
The government was supposed to finalize its decision within 60 days, by mid-May, but the deadline has now been moved to August 11 as they are still in discussions, the spokesperson said.
This is Google’s third request to South Korea on this topic, following previous requests in 2011 and 2016. The tech giant currently uses a 1:25,000 scale map in the country that includes points of interest and satellite images, according to media reports. A 1:5,000 scale high-precision map would offer a more detailed view that would include even the narrowest streets.
When South Korean officials rejected Google’s request in 2016, they said an approval would only be granted if the U.S. tech firm sets up a data center in South Korea. The country also asked Google to blur sensitive locations, like national security facilities, on its maps for security purposes.
Google has not yet said if it would set up a data center in South Korea. The company operates an array of data centers around the world, including in Asian countries such as Singapore, Taiwan, Japan, Thailand and Malaysia.
Data restrictions by the government have impacted the performance of Google Maps and Apple Maps in South Korea. Foreigners and tourists often struggle to navigate with Google Maps due to the limited information and languages supported, often resorting to using local apps that do not support many foreign languages.
Local navigation apps such as Naver Maps, TMaps and Kakao Maps are most popular among local users. These apps offer map data at a scale of 1:5,000, and therefore, much more information and detail. Naver Maps, launched in 2002, has about 27 million monthly active users, while Kakao Maps and TMaps have around 11 million and 24 million MAUs, respectively.
Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Kate Park is a reporter at TechCrunch, with a focus on technology, startups and venture capital in Asia. She previously was a financial journalist at Mergermarket covering M&A, private equity and venture capital.
