Why Doesn't Google Maps Work In South Korea?

Unlike China, where Google services including Google Maps are restricted, South Korea hasn't banned Google products. Samsung, the world's largest Android vendor and the biggest South Korean company by market cap, is a close Google partner, and Google apps and services are preloaded on its Android phones, including Google Maps. However, like in China, Google Maps does not offer the full Google Maps experience in South Korea, which means locals and travelers have to install competing services on their devices to get around. The limited Google Maps functionality is due to an almost two-decade-old disagreement between Google and the South Korean government on how a mapping service like Google Maps should work. The two parties came to an understanding in late February 2026, which may eventually bring full Google Maps support to the country, but Google Maps is still limited in South Korea as of this writing.

The Google Maps app includes coverage of South Korea. You can look at the map and search for points of interest, including hotels, restaurants, airports, and landmarks. You'll even get images and reviews, Google Maps features that may be as important to tourists as navigation support. Google Maps is a discovery tool that can help users find local attractions with relative ease and read reviews about them. But Google Maps does not offer full navigation support, to help users navigate from point A to point B. The app offers limited support for public transit, but driving, walking, and biking directions aren't available in the app. You'll need a different navigation application for these experiences in South Korea. On that note, while Google Maps can't offer driving directions, Google's Waze navigation app does work in South Korea.

Google used Japanese names for places in Google Earth between 2006 and 2008, ignoring requests from the South Korean government to correct them. The company launched Google Maps in 2008 without replacing the Japanese names, which remained a sensitive topic for the country. A few years later, the country created a 1:25,000 scale satellite map, which was available for free to domestic and international users. The country also made a more detailed 1:5,000 map, which was released in 2016 with a caveat: The government would have to approve the use of the more detailed map for international parties like Google. South Korea did not allow Google to use the more detailed map, which the company needed to offer users more advanced features like turn-by-turn navigation.

The South Korean government rejected Google's first map export request in 2016, saying the company didn't want to blur out map data related to local military bases and other points of interest. This represented a security concern for the country, as South Korea has been at war with North Korea for over 70 years. The two countries reached an armistice in the 1950s, but not a proper peace accord. Google countered in a blog post in August 2025 that the military information available on satellite data can be seen on Google Maps alternatives from rival services. Google also noted that it would work with the South Korean government to mask sensitive locations in the country in Google Maps.

Opposition to Google Maps from local navigation services developers may have also played a part. A CNN report in September 2025 and a Reuters report in February 2026 cited worries about Google's impact on competition and concerns on how Google may use location data from Google Maps users.

In late February 2026, the South Korean government announced that it would let Google export the detailed map data it needs to provide services like driving directions, but only if Google implements specific security requirements. The company would have to process 1:5,000 scale map data on local servers before exporting the maps. The South Korean government would have to approve the data before export. Additionally, Google would have to blur military bases and other sensitive sites in Street View inside Google Maps and Google Earth. Google would have to remove longitude and latitude coordinates for the country, and the government can make revision requests.

It's unclear how long it will take for Google to implement the changes and add the missing navigation features to Google Maps in South Korea. Several months after the agreement between the two parties, Google Maps still lacks driving directions support in the region. While Apple Maps supports turn-by-turn navigation, the iPhone maker also lacked approval for the high-precision 1:5,000 map in the region, as of early February 2026. Some Apple Maps features may not be available in the country.

Koreans and international users who need navigation apps in South Korea should use local apps, including Naver Maps, KakaoMap, and TMAP. The apps are available for both iOS and Android and can offer an alternative to Google Maps or complement Google's service. Naver Maps offers navigation support in English, real-time traffic information, transit support, and Street View functionality. KakaoMap offers support for various navigation methods, including driving, walking, biking, and public transit. TMAP also offers navigation support, with the added benefit that it processes real-time driving data from over 20 million users in the country.