Google can now give people real-time driving and walking directions in South Korea. The New York Times reported that the South Korean Transport Ministry finally gave the tech company permission to take important geographic data outside the country. This major approval means Google Maps will soon offer full GPS navigation to locals and tourists. The app will also start showing detailed information for local businesses, shops, and restaurants.
Google executive Cris Turner stated the company welcomes the decision. He noted that Google plans to work closely with local officials to launch a complete, fully functioning version of Google Maps in the country. However, the government included strict security rules in the new agreement. The Transport Ministry demands that Google completely hide sensitive military bases and government facilities from its maps. The tech company also cannot show exact longitude and latitude coordinates to its users.
For many years, South Korea refused to share highly detailed map data with foreign tech companies. Leaders worried about national security because the country remains technically at war with North Korea. Google first asked for this map data back in 2007, and it tried again in 2016. The government rejected both of those requests. Because of these strict rules, Google Maps lacked basic features like driving routes and store details. Meanwhile, local South Korean map apps like Naver and Kakao grew massive user bases without any foreign competition.
This data block actually caused problems during trade talks between South Korea and the United States. Google argued the old rules unfairly punished foreign companies and handed local apps a huge advantage. Now that Google finally won approval, some local experts worry about the future. Geography professor Choi Jin-mu warned that Google might crush its local rivals and create a dangerous monopoly. He explained that if Naver and Kakao lose their users, Google could eventually raise its prices. This future price hike would heavily damage local delivery and logistics companies that depend on cheap map data to survive.
