Government Confirms Google Met Security Conditions for High-Precision Map Transfer Overseas

Restrictions on Coordinate Display and Masking of Military Facilities
Domestic Security-Processed Imagery to Be Supplied Through TMAP
Transfer Authorization to Be Suspended if Conditions Are Violated

The government said on November 13 that Google has fulfilled the security conditions imposed when it was authorized to transfer high-precision maps of South Korea overseas.

The Ministry of Science and ICT said it held a meeting that morning of the consultative body on overseas transfers of basic survey results, comprising relevant government agencies and private-sector experts. The body reviewed and inspected the results of Google's compliance with the security conditions attached to its authorization to transfer maps at a scale of 1:5,000 overseas.

Google applied to transfer high-precision maps of South Korea overseas in February 2025. On February 27, 2026, the government granted approval subject to conditions including restrictions on displaying coordinates, security processing of imagery, data processing, and the establishment of a security incident response system. Google submitted a report on its implementation of the security conditions on November 4, 2026.

The consultative body confirmed that Google had fully implemented the removal and restriction of latitude and longitude coordinates for South Korean territory on the global services of Google Maps and Google Earth. To do so, Google developed a dedicated control layer that applies only to South Korean territory and established a system that detects coordinate exposure and blocks the release of app updates if it occurs.

Regarding security processing of imagery, Google signed a contract on August 31, 2026, to receive security-processed imagery from the National Geographic Information Institute through a domestic partner. Once Google receives domestically processed imagery from its local partner, TMAP, it must replace the imagery in its map services.

Because information such as the locations and areas of military and security facilities constitutes security-sensitive information, it will not be provided directly to Google. Instead, security-processed imagery will be supplied through TMAP. Google must incorporate the imagery without modification. Google currently uses commercial satellite imagery from overseas and has temporarily obscured facilities it identified on its own. The same measures have been applied to historical time-series imagery on Google Earth. Once the imagery is replaced with security-processed imagery from South Korea, some facilities that have not yet been obscured will also be security-processed.

Google deleted Street View imagery of the interiors of military and security facilities that it had security-processed, as well as roads within 50 meters of their boundaries. Once domestic imagery is provided, it plans to delete Street View imagery of the interiors and surrounding areas of all military and security facilities.

Google signed a contract with TMAP on August 31, 2026, to process and supply map data. Under the contract, TMAP will process the map data on domestic servers, and Google must incorporate it without altering the terrain. The data approved for overseas transfer is limited to transportation network data, including the basic basemap, road network, road names, number of lanes, speed limits, and road geometry.

Google will designate the president of Google Korea as its domestic map liaison and establish a real-time response system to handle government requests. If the government requests action in response to a security incident, such as the exposure of a security facility, the domestic map liaison will immediately notify Google's headquarters response team and oversee the completion of remedial measures within one business day.

In the event of a national security emergency, such as a major natural disaster or armed conflict, Google may consult with the government and activate measures to revise areas subject to security processing or disable specific functions.

The government said it will continue to monitor the overseas transfer of domestically security-processed imagery and processed data, as well as compliance with the security conditions, and will suspend the authorization if a serious breach of the conditions occurs. It also explained that, as Google uses domestic map and imagery data, it will be subject to procedures under domestic law, including corrective orders, just like domestic companies.

The consultative body assessed that applying security processing under domestic law to Google Maps and Google Earth, which have high global market shares, could substantially mitigate security vulnerabilities that have been raised in the past. In its implementation report, Google also said it plans to run a multi-year mutual growth cooperation program with domestic geospatial information companies.

The government plans to support cooperation between Google and domestic industry by developing specific mutual growth measures, including technical cooperation and investment in the domestic geospatial information sector, and ensuring their continued implementation.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.