Google Maps holds 70% global market share, but only 25% in South Korea.
These figures come from traffic analysis firms StatCounter and MobileIndex. Since entering Korea's map market in 2008, Google has been unable to use high-precision map data, leaving it trailing domestic players Naver, Kakao, and Tmap Mobility. Few countries worldwide have built ultra-precise 1:5,000 scale maps covering their entire territory as Korea has.
However, the government's conditional approval of map data exports will fundamentally reshape the competitive landscape that has favored domestic operators. While short-term benefits include expanded consumer choice and increased foreign tourism, these are merely initial changes. Industry experts predict that over the medium to long term, Korean companies will face "unlimited competition" with Google and other global Big Tech firms in autonomous driving, logistics, and physical artificial intelligence.
According to IT industry sources on Jan. 27, Google Maps currently does not offer pedestrian navigation in Korea. Citing national security concerns over sensitive information, Google has been restricted to 1:25,000 scale data for its map services. The company has maintained this prevented it from providing precise navigation services comparable to domestic alternatives like Naver Map and Kakao Map. As a result, navigation has consistently ranked as foreign tourists' top complaint when visiting Korea.
The government's decision is expected to enable Google to build map services in Korea matching those available overseas, improving convenience for foreign visitors. In a study published last year, Kim Deuk-gap and Park Jang-ho, visiting professors at Yonsei University's Institute of East and West Studies, estimated that easier access to Google Maps in Korea could bring approximately 6.8 million additional foreign tourists and create around 8,000 new jobs by 2027.
Korea's tourism industry anticipates broader development of map-based tourism services. A representative from Daytrip, a domestic tourism content platform, said: "To expand globally, we had to use Google Maps API, which meant we couldn't directly apply our domestically developed service logic. It will now be easier to serve foreign tourists."
The concern is that the impact of map data exports will extend far beyond tourism. The IT industry worries that Google's expanded map service influence could strengthen its platform market dominance over the medium to long term. Choi Jin-moo, professor of geography at Kyung Hee University, said: "Whether it's domestic companies or Google, the core of map services is getting users to engage in economic activities like reservations within the platform to generate revenue and obtain data. If Google, with its massive capital and market reach, competes on equal footing with domestic operators, Naver and Kakao may struggle to survive in five to ten years."
Some experts estimate that exporting high-precision map data could generate economic costs of up to 197.38 trillion won over the next decade. Jung Jin-do, professor of education policy at Korea National University of Education, argued: "Losses will compound over time through declining domestic industry revenues, system and data conversion costs, and user lock-in effects from platform dependency."
Most critically, Google could leverage newly acquired spatial data to dramatically advance its competitiveness in cutting-edge industries like autonomous driving and physical AI. While the government maintains it will only provide limited data necessary for navigation services—with Google processing original data on servers held by domestic companies in Korea—the industry believes this framework still allows Google to utilize precision map data for technological advancement.
An industry official said: "Navigation data is essential not just for human wayfinding but also for autonomous driving and robotics development. With Korea's autonomous driving technology already lagging behind the U.S. and China, the gap will only widen."
Alphabet, Google's parent company, owns autonomous driving firm Waymo and industrial robotics software company Intrinsic, and is integrating Google AI into autonomous driving and robotics technologies. Ahn Jong-wook, professor of urban information engineering at Anyang University and president of the Korean Society for Geospatial Information Science, said: "Google is just the starting point for map data exports. Apple has also applied, and this precedent could invite requests from companies in other countries, intensifying advanced technology competition in Korea."
However, some observers note that domestic platform companies like Naver and Kakao have developed Korea-specialized map services over many years, making it difficult for Google to overturn the situation immediately. The government plans to support domestic companies through spatial AI technology development assistance, geospatial industry support, and public demand creation measures.