South Korea delays decision on Google’s map‑data export request

South Korea’s ministry in charge of land, infrastructure and transport announced on Tuesday that it will postpone a final ruling on Google LLC’s request to export detailed mapping data. The delay comes because Google has been asked to submit additional documentation — the ministry has granted the company up to 60 business days (until February 5, 2026) to supply the required materials. Google is seeking approval to transfer “1:5,000‑scale” map data of the country, which it says would enhance its navigation service — domestic providers already use data at that scale. Seoul has previously rejected similar export requests from Google (in 2007 and 2016) on national‑security grounds. Despite Google’s assurances in September that it would comply with security conditions such as disabling coordinate display and blurring sensitive sites, the ministry said Google’s updated submission still did not properly reflect those commitments. The decision comes amid broader negotiations between South Korea and the United States on trade and security issues, in which restrictions on map‑data exports have been flagged as potential trade barriers. #SouthKorea #GoogleMaps #DataExport #NationalSecurity #SlimScan #GrowthStocks #CANSLIM