South Korean internet giant Naver has signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Geographic Information Institute (NGII) to develop advanced high-precision digital maps, the company announced on May 14.
The strategic partnership aims to combine the NGII’s national spatial data resources with Naver Labs’ digital twin technology and Naver Map’s platform capabilities to transform geospatial services across South Korea.
The consortium will focus on enhancing construction and utilization of high-precision geospatial data by integrating aerial photos, satellite imagery, orthophotos, and 3D spatial data with Naver’s advanced spatial intelligence technologies.
“By collaborating with Naver, which possesses high-precision mapping technology, we aim to elevate South Korea’s map-building capabilities to a world-class level,” said Cho Woo-seok, director general of the NGII.
Naver plans to leverage the enhanced data to develop practical solutions including 3D mapping and integrated indoor-outdoor navigation through its Naver Map platform, which already dominates the Korean market over international competitors.
The initiative is expected to support growth in emerging sectors including smart cities, O2O services, autonomous driving, digital twins, and AR/VR technologies through expanded public-private collaboration and infrastructure development.
