Google said it would purchase domestic satellite images with sensitive information 'masked' to alleviate heightened security concerns ahead of the South Korean government's decision to allow the export of precise maps.
Chris Turner, Google's Vice President of external cooperation in the institutional sector of knowledge and information, noted on the 5th through the Google Korea blog that 'Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful,' adding that 'Google Maps, one of the products embodying this philosophy, helps users efficiently find routes and explore their surroundings.' Google Maps is used by 2 billion people worldwide.
He also said, 'In Korea, which more than 10 million foreigners visit every year, overseas tourists face inconveniences as soon as they enter the country because the routing function of Google Maps is not available only in Korea.' He added, 'We are closely consulting with the South Korean government to resolve this issue.'
In response to some recently raised factual distortions, Google has refuted the claims. Google argued that the map it requested from the South Korean government is not a fixed-scale high-precision map at 1:1,000, but a national basic map at 1:5,000 scale, which has already undergone government security review and is secure data.
Google emphasized that 'the national basic map at 1:5,000 scale is produced and freely distributed by the National Geographic Information Institute (NGII), and sensitive information has already been removed after a thorough government security review.' He added, 'This is the same data used by most domestic map service providers, and Google Maps, which is being provided through SK T-map Mobility, was also created based on this data.' Furthermore, he stated, 'The national basic map is not only utilized by many corporations in the country but is also already publicly available, so there are no security concerns in itself.'
He also noted, 'There is a claim that navigation can be created with a map at a scale of 1:25,000, which does not require separate export approval, but the information is clearly insufficient to provide detailed route guidance, making it impossible to implement.'
Regarding satellite images, he stated, 'The satellite images used in maps are materials taken by various specialized companies and sold in the open market, and there is a separate original source.' In fact, many satellite image suppliers such as Planet Labs, DigitalGlobe, BlackSky, and Airbus provide satellite images that can be easily purchased and utilized by individuals, corporations, and governments.
Furthermore, Google pointed out that 'the most certain way to mask sensitive facilities in Korea is to apply masking directly to the original satellite photo,' but noted that 'even if masking is applied on Google Maps, information may remain on the original images taken by the satellite companies.'
Turner added, 'In necessary cases, we are also considering purchasing government-approved images that are already masked from domestic partners for use.'
Meanwhile, the government will hold a meeting of the related consultative body on the 8th to discuss Google's request for the export of maps abroad. The consultative body was originally scheduled to make a decision in May but postponed the decision and extended the processing deadline by 60 days.