Google Maps is ubiquitous in most countries but South Korea is split on the idea

Google Maps is available in more than 250 countries, so it may surprise some people to learn that a modern, tech-obsessed nation like South Korea isn't on the list. But Google Maps has long been shunned by the Asian country, and the app has never fully worked in South Korea. Many South Korean officials say this is due to national security concerns over geographic data, which has led the country to push back against efforts to integrate with Google Maps. But many tourists and native South Koreans feel the time has come to let Google in.

'Decades-long struggle'

Many South Korean officials are wary of making Google Maps fully accessible in the country. At the "heart of this issue lies a set of map data owned by the South Korean government, which Google says it needs to create a comprehens