South Korea Should Reform Outdated and Protectionist Mapping Data Restrictions

South Korea’s export restrictions on mapping data, while originally based on legitimate national security concerns, now primarily act as a protectionist measure that unfairly limits competition from foreign firms. Korean policymakers should reform these rules not only to remove this non-tariff trade barrier but also to ensure that they do not hold back the use of geospatial data by emerging AI tools.

South Korea imposes one of the world’s strictest export controls on high-resolution geospatial data. The 2014 Act on the Establishment and Management of Spatial Data prohibits the export of detailed digital maps—especially those with a resolution finer than 1:25,000—without government approval. South Korean authorities, citing national security concerns, argue that such data could expose sensitive infrastructure and military sites.

A multi-agency Map Export Review Committee, led by the Director General of the National Geographic Information Institute (NGII) and comprising officials from the Ministries of Defense, Foreign Affairs, Science and ICT, and the National Intelligence Service, reviews export requests. The committee must issue a decision within 60 days, with a possible 60-day extension. Approval requires unanimous consent. So far, the committee has denied all requests, reflecting its strict posture.

These export restrictions have posed major obstacles for U.S. technology firms, with U.S. map providers losing an estimated $130 million annually due to these unfair trade practices. For example, Google and Apple have long sought to offer services based on higher-resolution map data in South Korea, but are currently limited to 1:25,000 scale datasets. Korean providers face no comparable restrictions.

Domestic firms such as Naver, Kakao, and TMap Mobility continue to deploy 1:5,000 scale maps. This disparity gives domestic companies a significant competitive edge in delivering real-time traffic updates, detailed street-level imagery, walking and driving directions, and advanced location-based services. These restrictions also increase operational costs for downstream app developers. The resulting competitive imbalance provides the Trump administration with added leverage to press for trade concessions or impose retaliatory measures.

South Korea’s export restrictions are increasingly difficult to justify in today’s globally connected world. Korean mapping applications are freely available worldwide, and all firms—domestic and foreign—must follow the same legal framework governing sensitive geospatial data. Some Korean experts worry that Google’s globally distributed storage system makes it difficult to track the exact location of geospatial data.

However, Google’s “South Korea Data Boundary” control package ensures that the company stores and processes data entirely within South Korea, in compliance with the country’s data residency laws. Restricting foreign firms from accessing high-resolution mapping data offers no additional national security benefit and instead creates an uneven playing field that favors domestic competitors and limits South Korean users from using globally competitive products.

Beyond unfairly restricting foreign competition, this policy also hinders innovation in fields such as autonomous navigation, urban analytics, and augmented reality—all of which depend on high-quality geospatial data. These restrictions may soon have important implications for the development and use of AI in South Korea.

Under Article 15(4), the law bans the export of “results and records of fundamental surveys,” referring to outputs of government-conducted surveys that provide the basis for all spatial information. Any entity seeking to publish, sell, or distribute “maps, etc.” based on these records must undergo ministerial review. The phrase “maps, etc.” allows authorities to interpret the law beyond traditional cartographic products to include derivative products, potentially including AI models trained on protected data if they encode sensitive spatial information.

While the treatment of derivative outputs under this Act remains untested in court, the law’s emphasis on controlling dissemination in any form raises the possibility that AI models trained on protected geospatial data could be subject to export restrictions. Similarly, non-Korean AI model developers and service providers may find themselves unable to offer the same AI products as domestic providers.

At a time when the U.S. Liberation Day tariff pause is set to expire, now is the moment for South Korea to end these restrictions. Easing these rules could serve as a timely and strategic concession, signaling Seoul’s willingness to address Washington’s concerns over non-tariff barriers without compromising its own economic interests.

The South Korean government should begin by adopting a tiered release model for high-resolution geospatial data, starting with less sensitive information and quickly expanding access as it validates technical safeguards, such as blurring sensitive features. Its goal should be to ensure that all firms have equal access to geospatial data and to eliminate any unnecessary technical restrictions, including data localization requirements. Offering this reform could help defuse bilateral tensions and strengthen Korea’s position at the negotiating table.

The NGII has commissioned a study in 2025 to explore phased export strategies beyond 2027. Policymakers should leverage this review to implement a flexible, security-conscious approach that enables the international use of Korean spatial data. After years of delay, it is imperative to act swiftly to remove barriers that hinder innovation and fair competition in the global geospatial data market.

Image credit for social media preview: Aboodi Vesakaran