Google to bring turn-by-turn navigation to South Korea

Google is working to introduce turn-by-turn navigation to South Korea, addressing a long-standing service gap in the country. While Google Maps currently provides public transit information and location reviews in South Korea, it has lacked the driving and walking directions available in most other global markets.

For nearly two decades, the lack of full functionality was attributed to the Act on the Establishment and Management of Spatial Data. This national security law restricts the export of detailed digital maps to prevent the exposure of sensitive military and infrastructure sites, a policy rooted in the ongoing technical state of war between South and North Korea.

The South Korean government recently approved Google’s use of high-precision map data on overseas servers, provided that military and sensitive facilities are blurred and latitude/longitude coordinates are disabled. To facilitate this transition, Google has recruited a Strategic Partnerships Development Manager to coordinate with public and private entities. Currently, local competitors Naver Map and Kakao Map maintain a significant user advantage in the region.