Google accepts South Korean map rules, ending nearly two decades of dispute

Google said on September 9 that it would comply with South Korea's request to blur sensitive satellite images on its mapping service, paving the way for competition with domestic navigation platforms.

Google headquarters in Mountain View, California, USA - Photo: AFP

According to AFP news agency on September 9, US technology corporation Google said it will comply with the South Korean government 's request to blur sensitive satellite images on its Google Maps service, paving the way for the corporation to compete with domestic map platforms such as Naver and Kakao.

The move is seen as a turning point marking the end of a nearly two-decade-long dispute in which Google repeatedly requested access to detailed South Korean map data to provide full walking and driving directions, but Seoul firmly refused on national security grounds.

South Korea is one of the few places in the world — like Russia and China — where Google Maps cannot fully function due to Korean law requiring companies to store core geographic data domestically — something Google has long refused to do.

This has led to domestic tech companies like Naver and Kakao dominating the map service market, but it has made it difficult for international tourists to navigate and locate because they are not familiar with using domestic platforms.

On September 9, Google confirmed for the first time that it would comply with Seoul's request.

“We have confirmed our commitment to the government to blur satellite imagery as required and will consider acquiring data from Korean-approved third parties as appropriate,” Google Vice President Cris Turner told reporters.

Google will “invest a lot of time and resources” to remove coordinates related to security facilities from its maps, Mr Turner added.

Previously, the issue of Google Maps access was raised in trade negotiations between South Korea and the US, when Seoul reached tax reduction agreements with US President Donald Trump.

The South Korean presidential office confirmed that high-precision map data was one of the “most discussed” topics with the US side, but stressed that the country “has not made any further concessions” in this area.

South Korean officials are still in discussions with the US, with the possibility of exporting high-precision map data still on the agenda, industry sources told AFP.

PUBLIC

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/google-chap-nhan-quy-dinh-han-quoc-ve-ban-do-ket-thuc-gan-hai-thap-ky-tranh-chap-20250909124350009.htm