Due to Security Concerns
Whether to allow Google to take a minute Korean map out of Korea or not will be finally decided on August 24. It has been found that the Korean government will not permit that due to national security concerns. Unless Korea allows it, the US government is expected to strongly bring forward trade issues, fueling controversy over the matter.
In respond to the issue, “Korea’s decision about a security matter should be respected by the US. This matter should be handled separately from Korea-US trade issues,” the Korean political world and ICT industry said, clarifying their positions.
According to the National Geographic Information Institute on August 23, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Unification, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Resources, the Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs, the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning and the National Information Service will hold the second meeting on overseas shipment of measurement outcomes at the institute located in Suwon, Gyeonggi-do at 3 pm on August 24 . In the meeting, they will finally make a decision about whether or not they will allow Google to take a detailed Korean map out of Korea. They are planning to announce the final results around 6 pm shortly after the end of the meeting.
Based on the positions of the ministries, the Korean government allegedly set its direction not to give map data to Google. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Resources approve of giving the map data to the global search giant for the growth of new industries and concerns about a possible trade conflict, national security is prioritized as the most important element in making policies. “The ministries are not sharply divided over the issue,” said a representative of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. “Nothing can take precedence over national security matters.”
With reference to national security matters, the biggest bone of contention, Google refuted that map data based on a 1: 5000 large-scale digital map does not contain information about security facilities. But the Korean government and security specialists say that data devoid of security facility information can expose main security facilities in Korea when they mix with “Google Earth,” a satellite video service of Google. The Korean government asked Google to hide its major security facilities in the Google Earth Service as a condition for shipment of the data to Google. But Google is rejecting it.
Even if the Korean government finally says “no” to Google, a different problem will be waiting for the Korean government. It will be a concern that the rejection of Google’s request may risk trade conflicts with the US. Meantime, the US government has urged its Korean counterpart to lift a ban on overseas shipment of Korean spatial information directly and indirectly. In particular, regarding this issue of shipment of the map data to Google, the US Trade Representative (USTR) reportedly requested the Korean government to approve shipment of the map data in a closed video conference with Korean ministries on August 18.
The USTR mentioned the issue once again after they pointed out in its report on international trade barriers that international service providers including Googles were being disadvantaged due to Korea’s restriction of overseas shipment of location-based data in April.
The Korean political world calls the US’s request “an invisible trade pressure.” “The Korean government should not give in to its US counterpart’s invisible trade pressure while neglecting the principle,” said Ahn Jeong-sang, a senior member of the Policy Committee at the Minjoo Party.
Some industry watchers point out that the US government should take action in accordance with Korean law such as having Google put its servers in Korea before mentioning deregulation in defense of Google. “It is right for Google to request map data shipment after meeting minimum conditions set by the Korean government,” Ahn said. “Google’s claim that the company has to distribute data to servers around the world for its global map service is to put its policies and infrastructure composition before Korean law.
“Google requested map data shipment in order to avoid the corporate tax and various law and regulations in Korea by not operating servers in Korea,” Ahn added. “On the contrary, the Korean government can protest the US government about this issue.”
On the other hand, opposition parties including the Minjoo Party and the People’s Party are planning to make a statement of regret and look closely into the issue in the upcoming parliamentary inspection of the administration if the government decides to allow Google to take the data out of Korea.