Coordinate display removed from Google Maps, Earth for South Korean territory

Tmap to supply processed data; government to control imagery of secured facilities

Google must act within one business day on security incidents; serious violations may void export permit

The Google logo. [Reuters]
The Google logo. [Reuters]

The South Korean government said Friday it has confirmed that Google fulfilled key security conditions tied to the approved export of high-precision map data, including the removal of latitude and longitude coordinate displays.

Google has also arranged to receive satellite imagery and map data security-processed by a domestic partner, and has established a system to respond to security incidents within one business day. The government said it will suspend or revoke the export permit if Google commits a serious violation of the security conditions going forward.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said Friday it convened a meeting of the Basic Survey Results Overseas Export Consultative Body — composed of related ministries and private-sector experts — to review whether Google had met the security conditions attached to its permit to export 1:5,000-scale maps overseas.

Google applied last year to export high-precision domestic map data overseas. The government approved the export on Feb. 27 on conditions including restrictions on coordinate display, security processing of imagery, data processing requirements and the establishment of a security incident response system. Google submitted its final compliance report Nov. 4.

The ministry said the review found that Google had fully removed latitude and longitude coordinate displays for South Korean territory on Google Maps and Google Earth — available on the internet and on the Android and iOS mobile operating systems — and had implemented all required measures to restrict their exposure.

To achieve this, Google developed a dedicated control layer that applies exclusively to South Korean territory. It also built a preventive system that detects any coordinate exposure during future app updates and blocks distribution if a problem is found.

Google has also put in place a plan for security processing of imagery related to military and secured facilities. On Aug. 31, it signed a contract through a domestic partner to receive imagery security-processed by the National Geographic Information Institute.

The government decided not to provide Google with information about military and secured facilities — including their locations and dimensions — on the grounds that the full list constitutes classified national security information. Instead, the government will supply security-processed imagery through a domestic company, and Google must incorporate it into its map service without modification.

Map data processing will also take place domestically. Google signed a data processing and supply contract with a domestic partner on Aug. 31, according to officials. The partner has been identified as Tmap.

Tmap will process the map data on domestic servers, and Google must use the data as provided. Google plans to begin using map data processed by Tmap Mobility in accordance with government security standards as early as next year.

The data covered by the export permit is limited to base map layers, road networks, road names, lane counts, speed limits and road geometry data. Personal information of Tmap users, real-time location data, search histories and driving routes will not be included. Anonymized large-scale mobility data, precision positioning and sensor data, and high-definition road maps are also excluded from the scope of cooperation.

The specific duration and financial terms of the contract between the two companies were not disclosed.

[AFP]
[AFP]

Google has also established a domestic accountability structure for handling security incidents. The company designated the president of Google Korea as the dedicated domestic map officer and will operate a dedicated team available around the clock to receive and process government requests. When the government identifies a security incident — such as the exposure of a military facility — and requests corrective action, the Google Korea officer must immediately relay the request to the response team at US headquarters and ensure the matter is resolved within one business day of receipt.

Google also reported that it has prepared technical measures to respond to national security emergencies, including large-scale natural disasters or armed conflict. These include the ability to urgently revise the scope of security-processed zones or deactivate specific map functions in consultation with the government.

The government said it will continue to monitor the actual export of map data and verify ongoing compliance with the security conditions — checking whether coordinate display restrictions remain in place and whether the security incident response system is functioning properly. Serious non-compliance will result in the suspension or revocation of the export permit.

As Google will now have access to domestic map and imagery data, it has been placed under an obligation to comply with South Korean laws governing spatial information. The government said it can apply domestic legal procedures to Google — including corrective orders — in the same manner as it would to domestic companies.

The consultative body assessed that the measures would meaningfully reduce security vulnerabilities related to military and secured facilities on Google Maps and Google Earth, which are widely used around the world.

Google also announced plans to run a multi-year cooperation program with domestic companies to support the growth of South Korea's spatial information industry. The government said it will facilitate and oversee collaboration between Google and the domestic industry to develop concrete plans for technology cooperation and investment.

"We are grateful to the South Korean government for recognizing the value that Google Maps provides to residents, visitors and local authorities," a Google spokesperson said. "Having met the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's requirements, we look forward to launching Google Maps in Korea."


chami@heraldcorp.com