Map Data War: The Invisible Battle Inside Your Smartphone

The 18-year-long digital territorial dispute centers on ‘high-precision map data,’ known as the oil of future industries.

• Understand why global big tech companies obsess over South Korea’s map data.
• Grasp the government’s security, legal, and industrial arguments against exporting map data abroad.
• Explore the potential impact of this dispute on our future technologies like autonomous driving and AR.

Prologue: Seoul, Lost Giants

It is no longer unusual to see foreign tourists in the heart of Myeongdong, Seoul, confused while looking at Google Maps. Behind this minor inconvenience lies a massive 18-year war over ‘map data.’ On one side are Google and Apple; on the other, the South Korean government, emphasizing ‘security’ and ‘sovereignty.’

This is not just a navigation app issue. It is a 21st-century digital territorial war over the astronomically valuable treasure called ‘high-precision map data,’ which will determine the direction of future industries like autonomous driving and augmented reality (AR).

The New Oil: Map Data for the Machine’s Eyes

The digital maps we usually use are designed for people. However, the ‘1:5000 scale high-definition map (HD Map)’ that Google and Apple so desperately want is a completely different level of data created for the machine’s ’eyes.’

Beyond Navigation: The Blueprint of a Digital Twin

The Google Maps currently used in South Korea are at a 1:25,000 scale, where cars appear as tiny dots. But the 1:5000 scale map captures 50 meters in 1 cm, allowing identification of narrow alleys.

The real value lies in the information contained within. HD Maps are close to a ‘Digital Twin’ that replicates the real world at centimeter-level accuracy. Layers of machine-readable data include lane types and widths, road slopes, 3D positions of traffic lights, and curb heights.

This data can only be obtained by special vehicles equipped with LiDAR sensors driving nationwide, and the government has invested over 1 trillion KRW in taxes over decades. This is why it is not just information but a valuable ‘national asset.’

The Core Foundation of Future Technologies

• Lifeline of Autonomous Vehicles: HD Maps are essential for fully autonomous vehicles. They enable positioning within 10 cm accuracy even in heavy rain, fog, or tunnels where GPS fails. Waymo, Google’s subsidiary, operates autonomous taxis only on HD Maps. The absence of HD Maps in Korea means Waymo’s dream cannot even start here.
• Fusion of Reality and Virtuality: AR devices like Apple’s Vision Pro use HD Maps as a canvas to perfectly understand the 3D structure of real spaces and overlay virtual information.

Thus, high-precision map data acts as the ‘operating system (OS)’ for future innovation industries predicted to be worth about 796 trillion KRW.

The Suitors: Google and Apple’s Different Agendas

Why are Google and Apple so obsessed with South Korea’s map data? One dreams of ‘completing a global empire,’ the other of ‘seizing the future ecosystem.’

Google’s Hardline: “All Roads Lead to Google Servers”

For Google, South Korea is the only glaring hole in its global map service portfolio. Google insists on transferring data to its global integrated servers to maintain data quality. In 2016 negotiations, when the Korean government requested blurring of security facilities, Google countered, “Then provide all coordinates of the security facilities.” This was effectively a demand to hand over the entire list of national secrets, leading to a breakdown in talks.

Apple’s Conciliatory Approach: “We Will Comply with Korean Laws”

In contrast, Apple proposed a much softer approach, including using data from domestic operator SK T-map Mobility and accepting government security requirements. Crucially, Apple operates a data center in Korea, allowing data processing without exporting it abroad. This could fundamentally resolve the government’s biggest concern: ‘data leakage overseas.’

Digital Fortress: South Korea’s Triple Defense

The government’s firm stance over 18 years rests on three solid pillars: law, security, and industry.

1. First Defense: Law – The Spatial Information Management Act This law strictly prohibits exporting high-precision map data like 1:5000 scale maps abroad without the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s permission.
2. Second Defense: Security – An Unfinished War As the world’s only divided nation, combining high-precision map data with satellite images could expose coordinates of military bases and critical national infrastructure. This is equivalent to handing precise strike coordinates to an enemy.
3. Third Defense: Industry – Protecting Domestic Champions There is a strong sense of ‘data sovereignty’ that national assets created with massive tax money cannot be handed over free to foreign companies. There is also concern that if Google enters, domestic companies like Naver and Kakao could collapse. Since Naver and Kakao have built commerce and mobility empires centered on maps, exporting map data could shake their business models.

Timeline of South Korea’s Map Data Dispute (2007–Present)

Comparison / Alternatives

Map Data Policies Around the World

South Korea’s map war is not an isolated fight. It is part of a global chessboard where countries consider how to draw digital borders.

Amid these trends, the U.S. labels South Korea’s regulations as a ‘digital trade barrier’ and applies trade pressure, turning this issue into a diplomatic and geopolitical matter beyond technology.

Three Doors to the Future

After 18 years of standoff, we face a crossroads with three doors. Which would you choose?

1. First Door, ‘Status Quo’: Safe in the short term but leads to ‘digital isolation’ from global tech trends in the long run.
2. Second Door, ‘Conditional Opening’: A ‘sandbox’ model opening data for specific zones or purposes. Reduces security risks but likely a temporary fix.
3. Third Door, ‘Mandatory Domestic Data Centers’: The most realistic compromise currently. Keeps data within Korea to alleviate security concerns while leveraging global companies’ technology and capital.

Conclusion

The 18-year map data war symbolizes the redefinition of sovereignty in the digital age.

• Key Summary:

  1. High-precision map data is core infrastructure for future industries like autonomous driving and AR.
  2. The government bans exporting data abroad citing security, legal, and domestic industry protection.
  3. ‘Mandatory domestic data centers’ emerge as a practical balance between security and innovation.

The choice we make will redraw South Korea’s digital economy and future industry map entirely. This invisible war deserves close attention.

Related article: What is the Data 3 Act? A useful core summary