Seoul: Kakao Map, the mobile map service offered by South Korea's Kakao Corp., has recently garnered significant online attention due to its detailed depiction of several locations within North Korea.

According to Yonhap News Agency, various local online posts have noted that Kakao Map displays specific sites in North Korea, including Kim Il Sung University and Pyongyang University of Education, both situated in Pyongyang, as well as certain train stations. This level of detail contrasts sharply with Naver Map, which is operated by Naver Corp. Naver Map does not provide detailed views of North Korean locations, allowing users only to see large geographical features such as mountains and bridges, without access to specific facilities like hospitals or universities.

Naver Map has been developed using OpenStreetMap, a free and editable global map known as the "Wikipedia of maps," which originated in the United Kingdom in 2004. In contrast, Kakao Map employs a combination of geographic data, including that provided by the state-backed National Geographic Information Institute, as per the messenger app operator.

Both Kakao and Naver have stated that they have restricted users from actively searching for such locations in North Korea. However, users can still view these areas by manually panning the map to the North Korean region.