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Photo courtesy of Yonhap News |
[Alpha Biz= Paul Lee] South Korea is expected to decide as early as this week whether to allow Google and Apple to export the country’s high-precision map data, amid growing trade pressure from the United States.
The issue has gained urgency as the Trump administration reportedly raises the matter in connection with tariff discussions. While Washington has framed Korea’s restrictions as discrimination against U.S. firms, Korean policymakers, industry, and academia largely oppose allowing the export, citing national security risks and concerns that taxpayer-funded, world-leading map data could widen the competitive gap in emerging sectors such as autonomous driving and artificial intelligence.
The government is reviewing conditions for approval, including blurring sensitive facilities, restricting coordinate displays, and requiring the establishment of domestic data centers. Officials argue that approving the export without such safeguards could amount to reverse discrimination against domestic companies that comply with local regulations and tax obligations.
알파경제 Paul Lee 특파원(hoondork1977@alphabiz.co.kr)
