Overview
- The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said a government consultation body found Google satisfied the conditions for transferring 1:5,000‑scale map data by implementing measures that prevent exposure of geographic coordinates and sensitive military sites on Google Maps and Google Earth.
- Google built a dedicated control system for South Korea and added safeguards that can block app updates that risk revealing restricted coordinates.
- Under the agreement, Google must obtain satellite images processed by the National Geographic Information Institute and replace its existing Korean imagery with those security‑processed images immediately and without modification.
- Industry sources report Google selected TMAP Mobility to process base map data on domestic servers to meet security standards, but that choice has not been officially confirmed by government authorities.
- The approval could intensify competition in the local map market by giving Google access to security‑cleared base data while maintaining strict limits designed to protect military and other sensitive sites.