Concern over Trade Conflicts

The Korean government to put off making a decision about Google’s request to take Korean map data out of the country until November this year.
The Korean government to put off making a decision about Google’s request to take Korean map data out of the country until November this year.

 

Some say that a concern over a possibility of trade conflicts with the US forced the Korean government to put off making a decision about Google’s request to take Korean map data out of the country.   

According to them, the Korean government could not help but consider the USTR’s steady request to allow overseas shipment of map data although government organizations led by the Ministry of National Defense and the National Information Service raise strong voices over Korea’s information sovereignty such as national security issues. Some experts pointed out that with this controversy as momentum, the Korean government should begin to discuss “data governance” through which the government seeks cooperation with global companies while keeping the nation’s information sovereignty. 

According to the government and relevant industries on August 24, the US Trade Representative (USTR) allegedly step up tangible and intangible pressures on Korea after Google officially asked the National Geographic Information Institute under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport for map data in June. The USTR asked the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Resources for map data shipment in a video conference with them on August 18. The USTR claimed in the 2016 International Trade Barrier Report submitted to US Congress, “The Korean government limits foreign companies’ access to map data, hindering US companies’ entry in the Korean market.”  


Industry experts expect that aversion to global IT companies on the rise in the EU, India and Russia will spark off the US government’s aggressive support for US companies. But national security concerns will be expressed in the third meeting that will be held within the next 60 days and at the moment, Google does not pay the corporate tax to the government. Thus this issue is expected to have rough going  

 

 

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