Manish Gupta, Senior Director at Google DeepMind, speaks on the topic “Google AI: Unlocking New Possibilities” during the “Google for Korea” event held at the Josun Palace Hotel in Gangnam, Seoul, on July 2. (Yonhap)
National security concerns and U.S. trade pressure shape South Korea’s cautious stance on data sovereignty
SEOUL, August 4 (Korea Bizwire) — The South Korean government is deferring a key decision on whether to allow Google to export high-resolution mapping data until after an upcoming summit between President Lee Jae-myung and U.S. President Donald Trump, underscoring the geopolitical sensitivity surrounding digital infrastructure and national security.
Originally slated for an August 11 deadline, the decision is now expected to be postponed, with a multi-agency panel convening on August 8 to deliberate further. The panel—composed of officials from the transport, defense, foreign affairs, intelligence, and other ministries—will review Google’s request to transfer South Korea’s 1:5,000-scale digital base map to its overseas servers.
The issue, which involves maps accurate enough to show individual buildings, roads, and terrain, has long raised concerns over potential exposure of military and critical infrastructure sites. While the United States has labeled the export restriction a non-tariff barrier, it was notably excluded from the most recent bilateral customs agreement, likely in anticipation of being addressed directly at the Lee-Trump summit.
“Including this matter in the summit-level discussions reflects its complexity and sensitivity,” said a senior official, adding that a pre-summit decision might have complicated other diplomatic priorities. The Lee administration’s reluctance to rush the ruling illustrates a broader effort to balance national interests against Washington’s strategic and commercial expectations.
In a press briefing after the customs deal was announced last month, presidential policy chief Kim Yong-beom noted that while high-precision mapping was among the first issues raised in talks, it was “defended” by Seoul and deferred for head-of-state dialogue, citing its overlap with national security.
Both President Lee’s cabinet nominees and agency heads have echoed a cautious tone. Land Minister Kim Yoon-deok told lawmakers that while economic diplomacy is important, “national defense and public safety must take precedence.” Culture Minister Choi Hwi-young similarly stressed a need for “comprehensive review of the impact on national security and domestic industry.”
Seoul has said it would permit the map export only if Google complies with three conditions: obscuring or degrading sensitive sites, stripping coordinate metadata, and maintaining a domestic server to allow immediate corrections. Google has yet to accept these terms, and negotiations remain ongoing.
This marks Google’s third attempt since 2011 to secure export approval. Previous requests were denied over concerns about data leaks involving military facilities. The current request, submitted in February under the second Trump administration, again seeks to relocate sensitive geospatial data to U.S.-based data centers.
With mapping data increasingly seen as a national asset, the outcome of the Lee-Trump summit may prove decisive—setting a precedent not only for U.S.-Korea digital cooperation but also for how sovereign states manage sensitive data in an era of transnational tech giants and heightened global competition.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
