Street View South Korea
South Korea is the one major country where Google's mapping has been shaped directly by law. Street View imagery exists and works; the map around it has been restricted for years, and that only began to change in 2026.
City guides
1 written guide for South Korea, each with the streets worth walking and the views worth opening.
Why Google's map of Korea works differently
For years the South Korean government refused to let foreign companies export detailed mapping data to servers outside the country, citing security concerns about North Korea. The practical result was that Google Maps in Korea lacked full walking and driving directions, which is not true anywhere else in the developed world.
In February 2026 the government approved the export of high-precision 1:5,000-scale map data, on conditions: security safeguards, data processed first on domestic servers, government clearance before export, a compliance officer employed in Korea, and the blurring of military and other sensitive sites in time-series services including Street View.
Street View itself has been available for years and is not what was restricted. If you have found Korean navigation strange while the imagery looked normal, this is why.
Worth opening beyond the city guides
Bukchon and the Seoul City Wall, which runs along ridges through the middle of the capital and is followable on foot.
Gyeongju, the Silla dynasty capital, where burial mounds sit in the middle of the modern town like grassy hills.
Jeju island, volcanic, with a crater at the top and lava tubes underneath.
The Boseong tea terraces in the south, cut into hillsides in rows.
Places to open
4 locations in South Korea, each one a single click into Street View at the right spot and facing the right way.
Questions about Street View in South Korea
Does Google Street View work in South Korea?
Yes. Street View imagery exists and is usable. What was restricted was the export of detailed map data, which is why Google Maps in Korea long lacked full directions. The government approved an export under security conditions in February 2026.
Why are some Korean sites blurred?
Because the approval to export mapping data required Google to blur military and other sensitive locations in time-series services including Street View and Google Earth.