A Korean law has blocked the overseas export of the precision map data that turn-by-turn navigation depends on. Google held no approval to use that data for full-scale navigation until the map-data export review committee's conditional decision on February 27, 2026. Technology reporters covering that decision widely described the restriction as the reason Google Maps lacked reliable walking and transit directions inside the country.
The app that fills the gap is Naver Map (네이버 지도).
Why Google Maps can't give you directions here
Korea's spatial information law, 공간정보의 구축 및 관리 등에 관한 법률 Article 16, bans the overseas export of basic survey results (기본측량성과): the precision government-produced topographic data that turn-by-turn navigation depends on.
The statute states: "누구든지 국토교통부장관의 허가 없이 기본측량성과 중 지도등 또는 측량용 사진을 국외로 반출하여서는 아니 된다." In plain English: no person may export basic survey results, including maps and survey photographs, overseas without permission from the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (국토교통부, MOLIT).
Permission under Article 16 comes from the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. Where the data touches national security, the decision runs through a multi-ministry consultative body, the map-data export consultative body (측량성과 국외반출 협의체). Its members include the ministers of Science and ICT, Foreign Affairs, Unification, Defense, Interior, and Trade, plus the head of the National Intelligence Service and at least one private-sector expert. The committee's operating rules are set by the National Geographic Information Institute (국토지리정보원, NGII).
What changed in February 2026
On February 27, 2026, the review committee conditionally approved Google's request to export 1:5,000-scale precision map data. The Korea.kr government portal quoted the outcome: "엄격한 보안 조건 준수를 전제로 반출 허가 결정을 의결했다" (the committee resolved to approve export on the premise of strict compliance with security conditions) (as of 2026-02-27, verify at korea.kr).
The conditions are significant. Google must process data on domestic servers through a Korean partner company, restrict displayed coordinate information, blur military and security facilities in historical satellite and Street View imagery, export only the minimum information necessary for navigation and route-finding, and exclude contour lines and other security-sensitive layers. The government retains the right to revoke permission for serious violations.
The approval is a regulatory event, not a confirmed product change. No primary source confirms whether Google Maps in Korea has actually shipped improved walking or transit routing following the approval. This guide covers what works today: Naver Map.
The Article 16 ban applies to any person who would export precision survey data. Google's request was not granted until the 2026-02-27 conditional approval. Both Naver Map and Kakao Map provide full transit and walking directions inside Korea. For the full context of how these companies fit into Korea's digital landscape, see the Naver vs. Kakao guide.
Getting Naver Map and setting it to English
Install Naver Map (네이버 지도) from the App Store or Google Play. The publisher is NAVER Corp.
Naver's official App Store listing confirms the app provides four map language editions and English-language navigation: "한/영/일/중 지도판과 영문 내비게이션 기능을 제공하고 있어요" (Korean, English, Japanese, and Chinese map editions, plus English-language navigation).
To switch the map language, open the app and look in Settings for a Language option. Selecting English switches the app to Naver's English map edition.
Do not expect every label to appear in English. Exit numbers, platform numbers, and car-position numbers are numerals, readable in any language.
Naver states that the app provides English-language navigation.
What a Naver account is needed for
Saving a place to your personal favorites list (저장 / 즐겨찾기) requires signing in to a Naver account. If you want to keep a list of places to revisit, a Naver account takes a few minutes to create.
Searching when you can't type Korean
Naver Map's search box handles places, bus stops, subway stations, and addresses through a single field, per the app's own description: "장소, 버스, 지하철, 주소 등의 모든 정보를 검색창 하나로 검색할 수 있어요" (search places, bus, subway, and addresses all through a single search box).
Try the romanized name of the place you want. If nothing matching comes up, use the Korean name or the Korean address instead.
If you have a Korean address, paste it directly into the search box. Naver Map accepts road-name addresses (도로명주소) in Korean and will resolve them. Copy the address from a booking confirmation, a website, or a message sent by a Korean contact.
If a Korean speaker has sent you a Naver Map link, tap it directly. You do not need to type anything.
Reading a Korean address
Korea replaced its older land-parcel system with the road-name address (도로명주소) system on January 1, 2014. The road-name address is now the sole legal address for civil registration, real estate transactions, and public institutions. The format is road name plus building number: for example, Gangnam-daero 123. This is the address system Naver Map primarily uses.
If the address does not get you there
The cleanest solution is to skip the address entirely. Find your destination in Naver Map, tap the place listing, and show the screen to the taxi driver. Alternatively, share the Naver Map link via KakaoTalk and ask the person to open it.
If the road-name address does not bring up your destination, try searching the apartment complex name instead.
Transit routing and real-time arrivals
Naver Map confirms real-time arrival and boarding guidance as core features of the app: "실시간 도착정보와 승하차 안내 기능으로 쉽고 편리하게 목적지까지 갈 수 있어요" (real-time arrival info and boarding and alighting guidance make it easy and convenient to reach your destination).
To get transit directions, tap the route icon, enter your origin and destination, and select the transit option. The app returns multiple route options, ordered by its recommended route (최적 경로순) by default. Each option shows the total duration, number of transfers, and walking distance at each end. Tap one to see the full step-by-step breakdown.
Real-time arrival countdowns update at regular intervals at bus stops. For subway lines, the app shows the minutes until the next train on each line.
Boarding and alighting guidance (승하차 안내) alerts you as your stop approaches so you do not miss it. You select the train you boarded for the alert to track.
The subway exit number: the most useful thing in the app
Korean subway stations, particularly major interchange stations, have many numbered exits. Each exit leads to a different part of the street above. Choosing the wrong exit at a large station can mean a long walk.
If your route's final step names an exit, match that number against the signs in the station.
Korean subway station exits are marked with their number, and the number reads the same whether or not you read Korean.
When you arrive at a busy station such as Gangnam (강남역), City Hall (시청역), or Express Bus Terminal (고속터미널역), find the numbered signs before you start walking. Match the exit number to the sign and walk up. This one feature, the specific exit number, is the piece of information that no amount of romanized street search can fully replace for a reader who cannot read Korean.
Naver Map also offers boarding and alighting guidance, which alerts you as your stop approaches. This is worth enabling for longer subway journeys.
Saving and sharing a location
Saving
Naver Map confirms saving as a named feature: you can save restaurants, travel spots, and other places of interest on the map, per the official app description. Saving requires a Naver account. Once signed in, saved places appear in a personal list accessible across devices.
Sharing
Naver Map confirms sharing as well: "친구들과 편하게 공유할 수 있어요" (share conveniently with friends). Find a place, tap the share icon on the listing, and the app generates a link you can send via KakaoTalk, SMS, or any messaging app. The recipient opens the link in Naver Map or on the Naver web map.
This is the practical solution for sending a destination to a Korean speaker, a taxi driver, or a delivery person. The shared link opens directly to the place. You do not need to read the address aloud or type anything in Korean.
For a taxi, an alternative is to show the driver the place listing on screen. Either showing the screen or sending the KakaoTalk link removes the need to pronounce an unfamiliar address.
Naver Map vs. Kakao Map: when to switch
Both Naver Map and Kakao Map (카카오맵) provide walking and transit directions inside Korea, as the Article 16 export ban applies equally to both.
The practical differences come from their respective ecosystems.
Naver Map integrates with Naver's local business database. Place listings include Naver reviews and ratings. If you use Naver to research restaurants, clinics, or local services, the reviews and the map are in the same ecosystem.
Kakao Map connects to Kakao T (카카오 T), the Kakao ride-hailing and mobility service, so you can reserve parking from a place page.
For most foreign residents, Naver Map is a sound starting point. Switch to Kakao Map if you use Kakao T regularly. Both have English interfaces. Both show live bus arrival information.
For the broader context on how Naver and Kakao shape daily digital life in Korea, see the Naver vs. Kakao guide.
Quick setup summary
- Install Naver Map (네이버 지도) from the App Store or Google Play.
- Open Settings and set Language to English.
- Search by romanized name or paste a Korean address directly.
- For transit, tap the route icon, enter your destination, and select the transit option.
- At your destination station, follow the exit number in the final step of the directions.
- To share a destination, tap the share icon and send the link via KakaoTalk or SMS.
For a full list of apps and sites that foreign residents use in Korea, including navigation, money, healthcare, and community, see the essential websites and apps guide.