SEOUL, South Korea: South Korea has approved the export of high-precision map data to overseas servers, clearing the way for Google Maps to operate fully in the country after nearly two decades of restrictions.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said the approval was granted "on the condition that strict security requirements are met."

Under those conditions, military and other sensitive facilities must be blurred, and longitude and latitude coordinates for South Korean territory must be restricted on services such as Google Maps and Google Earth.

The move marks a significant policy shift for a country that has long cited national security concerns, given it remains technically at war with North Korea, in rejecting Google's previous requests in 2007 and 2016 to export detailed map data.

The decision is expected to intensify competition in South Korea's digital mapping market, currently dominated by local internet giants Naver and Kakao. It may also ease tensions with Washington, which has pressed Seoul to address what it describes as discrimination against U.S. technology firms.

"We welcome today's decision and look forward to our ongoing collaboration with local officials to bring a fully functioning Google Maps to Korea," Google Vice President Cris Turner said in a statement.

Google Maps has not been banned outright in South Korea. In contrast, the service is prohibited in countries such as mainland China, North Korea, Syria, and Vietnam.

At issue is map data at a 1:5000 scale, where 1 centimetre on a map represents 50 metres in reality. Google has argued that exporting the data is necessary to provide real-time navigation services, including for users researching South Korean destinations from abroad.

The government's conditions require Google to process map data on locally based servers and limit exports to pre-approved navigation and direction services. Authorities also retain the right to request map revisions, and Google must establish a security incident-prevention framework to handle emergencies.

The policy change has raised concerns among some analysts about market dominance and long-term dependence.

Choi Jin-mu, a geography professor at Kyung Hee University, said the decision raised serious questions about market control and national security.

"Google can now come in, slash usage fees, and take the market. If Naver and Kakao are weakened or pushed out and Google later raises prices, that becomes a monopoly. Then, even companies that rely on map services — logistics firms, for example — become dependent, and in the long run, even government GIS (geographic information) systems could end up dependent on Google or Apple. That's the biggest concern."

Shares of Naver fell 2.3 percent after the announcement on Friday, while Kakao gained 1.5 percent.

AMCHAM Chairman James Kim welcomed the decision, saying it "sends a positive signal about Korea's commitment to innovation, open markets, and ensuring a level playing field for global companies operating in Korea."