Calls grow to prevent Google from transferring Korea's high-precision map data abroad

A logo of Google / AP-Yonhap

By Lee Kyung-min

• Published May 13, 2025 8:01 PM KST

Calls are growing for the government to deny Google’s request to transfer Korea’s high-precision map data abroad.

Scholars and industry analysts say Google’s move will come at the expense of data sovereignty, competitiveness and growth potential of budding Korean platform players whose innovation drives can be sourced from detail-oriented pools of high-quality geospatial information.

The concerns follow Google's request made in February to provide 1:5,000-scale digital map data covering the entire country. Currently only lower-resolution 1:25,000-scale map data of Korea is available on Google, so the U.S. platform provides lower-quality mapping services than domestic map service providers here. The National Geographic Information Institute, a land ministry-supervised organization, will decide whether to approve the request by August.

Experts note the high market value of high-precision data-reliant advanced innovation industries, estimated at 342 trillion won ($241 billion). This could soar to 796 trillion won by 2030 when including autonomous driving, smart city infrastructure and location-based advertising.

Some also criticize Google for seeking free access to Korea’s taxpayer-funded strategic assets, despite its limited corporate tax burden here.

“It is all about data control, and we are coming close to losing it,” said Mo Jeong-hoon, a professor of industrial engineering at Yonsei University. "Google will thrive, aided by the access to the data, which can be a serious national security threat to Korea’s industrial competitive edge in the decades to come."

The professor argued that it is not certain as to whether the government will grant the request, but giving full access without any terms or conditions will lead to irreversible, long-lasting damage.

Google's search engine market share will surge to up to 70 percent, up significantly from the current 20 percent, he said. “The multinational IT titan will reap the benefits, with the survival of the new Korean entrants on the line.”

He also said domestic platform operators, including Naver and Kakao, may lose their competitive edge.

In addition, small and medium-sized tech firms that supply goods and services to the large conglomerates will be hit hard, Mo said. “I hope the government will make a wise decision, reflective of lingering concerns over the long-term risks, including weakened industrial progress,” he said.

The possibility lingers that the issue will become Korea's bargaining chip in its ongoing tariff negotiations with the U.S.

The U.S. government has called Korea’s stance on the map data issue a “protectionist” nontariff trade barrier, a key factor that undermines fair competition for global players.

During a forum hosted by Rep. Koh Dong-jin of the People Power Party, Monday, Mo also said about 1 trillion won in taxpayer money has been spent to create the 1:5,000-scale high-precision maps, and maintenance costs for the maps amount to tens of billions of won annually.

Google paid 15.5 billion won in corporate tax in 2023, only a fraction of the 496.3 billion won paid by Naver. It maintains the amount is justified, as its servers are based abroad.

Google Korea was unavailable for comment over the issue.