Seoul: Land Minister nominee Kim Yun-duk on Tuesday voiced concerns over Google's request to transfer South Korea's high-precision map data overseas, citing national security risks. During his confirmation hearing at the National Assembly, Kim emphasized the importance of prioritizing national defense and public safety over trade considerations.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim acknowledged the potential trade benefits of reviewing Google's request but insisted that security concerns must be paramount. He stated, "There may be reasons to review the request more proactively, but national security and the safety of our citizens come first. We must approach this matter with extreme caution."

In February, Google submitted a request to the state-run National Geographic Information Institute to export 1:5,000-scale high-precision map data to its international data centers. The government is expected to make a decision by August 11. Kim highlighted the unprecedented nature of such an export, noting, "The 1:5,000-scale map is extremely detailed, and no country has ever exported such high-resolution data. We will take this into account during consultations."

Currently, Google's South Korean mapping services utilize publicly available, lower-resolution 1:25,000-scale map data, enhanced with aerial and satellite imagery. Consequently, the quality of Google's local services is inferior to those of domestic providers. Previous requests by Google in 2007 and 2016 to export similar data were rejected due to fears of exposing military installations and sensitive facilities.

In 2016, Seoul offered a compromise requiring Google to blur sensitive sites or store the data domestically, but the tech giant declined. This time, Google has reportedly agreed to blur sensitive areas but has also requested coordinate data for designated security facilities, raising renewed concerns within the government's security community.