Google upset by S Korean refusal on mapping data

Seoul / AP

South Korea rejected a request by Google to use local mapping data in the company’s global maps service in a long-awaited ruling that had divided the country for months.
The company said it was disappointed by the decision, which the land ministry said was based on concerns over national security. “We’re disappointed by this decision. We’ve always taken security concerns very seriously and will continue to provide useful map services in compliance with Korea’s current map data export regulation,” Taj Meadows, a Google spokesperson, said in a statement.
The South Korean government said the risks outweighed benefits from exporting the country’s mapping data to Google, a unit of Alphabet Inc. South Korea, facing the overt threat of rival North Korea, bars exporting local mapping data to foreign companies that do not operate domestic data servers. Google, a unit of Alphabet Inc., handles its maps service at data centers outside South Korea. The restrictions have limited the usefulness of Google Maps within South Korea, since the app cannot offer driving or walking directions.