On Tuesday, Google announced it would honor the South Korean government’s request to blur certain sensitive sites on its mapping platforms. This decision could improve the U.S. tech giant’s ability to compete with domestic navigation apps, as reported by TRT World.
Under South Korean regulations, companies are required to store essential geospatial data within the country — a rule that Google had previously resisted. Because of this, homegrown services like Naver and Kakao have dominated the market, leaving foreign travelers at a disadvantage when using navigation tools.
The statement marked the first time Google publicly confirmed its compliance with Seoul’s requirements. The issue of Google Maps access has also surfaced in recent U.S.-South Korea trade negotiations, during which Seoul secured a last-minute tariff concession from President Donald Trump.
