I wonder how much this has to do with protectionism for ROK companies that provide mapping services?:
South Korea decided Friday not to allow Google Inc. to take government-supplied map data outside the country, citing possible security breaches.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, which supervises mapping policy, announced the decision after a meeting with officials from the foreign, defense and other-related ministries.
“There are security concerns amid the confrontation between the South and the North,” the ministry said. “(The ministry) suggested Google come up with supplementary measures to relieve security concerns, but Google did not accept this.”
The Seoul government had said it might allow Google to use the government-supplied map data if it deleted or blurred sensitive and military facilities, including the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae. [Yonhap]
You can read more at the link.
This issue between the ROK government and Google continues:
South Korea will not give Google a license to use South Korean maps unless the company blurs out sensitive military installations on its mapping service, Defense Minister Han Min-koo said Wednesday.
Earlier this month, the United States search engine provider requested permission from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to access South Korea-supplied maps as part of efforts to upgrade its Google Maps service on South Korea.
It was Google’s second attempt to gain access to South Korean maps following its first unsuccessful trial in 2010.
“Because of (security) concerns, security-related ministries are insisting that (a license) would be possible only after proper measures are taken,” Han told the parliamentary committee on defense affairs, indicating key military facilities should be blurred out first before Google is allowed to use South Korean maps. [Yonhap]
You can read more at the link.
