South Korea's spatial information industry immediately protested the government's conditional approval allowing Google to export high-precision map data overseas.

Six organisations, including the Korea Spatial Information Industry Association, the Korea Spatial Information Industry Cooperative, the Korean Society for Geospatial Information Science, the Korean Society of Surveying, Geodesy, Photogrammetry and Cartography, the Korea Society of Geographic Information Studies and the Surveying and Geospatial Information Technology Engineers Association, issued a joint statement on Feb. 27. They said the decision could have a significant structural impact across the domestic spatial information industry and strongly urged the government to immediately draw up measures to protect the industry and strengthen competitiveness.

The six organisations defined high-precision map data as a core infrastructure asset underpinning future strategic industries such as autonomous driving, digital twins and smart cities. They said it could directly affect the structure of South Korea's spatial information industry and its competitive environment, beyond a simple issue of data use.

Industry opposition to exports has already been confirmed in figures. In an emergency survey conducted by the Korea Spatial Information Industry Association of member companies from April 23 to May 7 last year, 90 percent of responding members opposed exporting high-precision maps. Support stood at 3 percent and neutrality at 7 percent. An analysis presented by the Korean Society for Geospatial Information Science at an industry-academia cooperation forum on Feb. 3 showed that exporting high-precision maps overseas would generate economic costs of up to 197 trillion won over the next 10 years and hit industries such as map platforms and mobility.

The six organisations have repeatedly called for institutional safeguards on the market competitiveness of domestic companies, data sovereignty and security, and a fair competitive environment with global platform companies. Despite that, they raised the issue of the absence of a public deliberation process after the government made a final approval decision.

Ahn Jong-uk (안종욱), president of the Korean Society for Geospatial Information Science, said, "There was no public discussion process such as providing information on what Google submitted in its supplementary application or collecting opinions, so we cannot accept this decision." He said, "Tariffs can be changed by the international political environment and negotiations, but high-precision map data is an irreversible decision that cannot be undone once exported."

Kim Dae-cheon (김대천), the 24th president of the Korea Spatial Information Industry Association, said, "Now that the government has made a final decision, what is important now is to prepare practical protection and fostering measures so that the domestic spatial information industry does not shrink." He said, "An expansion of state investment commensurate with data opening and the creation of a fair competitive environment must follow."

Kim Hak-seong (김학성), chairman of the Korea Spatial Information Industry Cooperative, also urged institutional measures at the government level, saying, "It is obvious that exporting high-precision maps will make the technological capabilities of domestic small and medium-sized companies worse."

The six organisations said policy responses after the decision would determine the direction of the industry and demanded that the government and Google fulfil 12 conditions. Key demands include proper payment of fees for using high-precision maps, joint use of derived data, establishing a real-time log reporting system on data access and use, applying location and map-related regulations at the same level as those applied to domestic companies, and guaranteeing status as joint business operators and partners rather than simple subcontractors. They also demanded the creation of a special development fund for the domestic surveying and mapping industry totalling 1 trillion won, with 100 billion won a year for 10 years.

The Korea Spatial Information Industry Association, which has about 1,500 member companies and about 26,000 members, plans to continue consultations with the government, monitor the industry's impact and keep submitting proposals for institutional improvements.