A Historic Decision 19 Years in the Making: 5 Shockwaves South Korea's Approval of Google's High-Precision Map Export Delivers to Naver, Kakao, and National Security
On February 27, 2026, the South Korean government granted conditional approval for Google to export high-precision map data (1:5,000) — a request it had refused for 19 years. Conditioned on five security requirements including blurring of military facilities, coordinate restrictions, and domestic server processing, this decision marks a sharp choice between easing US-Korea trade pressure and preserving digital sovereignty.