South Korea’s Naver has launched a campaign targeting foreign tourists as Google seeks access to the country’s high-precision map data.

The “Be Local” campaign runs until May 13, 2025 and features popular local spots in Seoul areas such as Myeong-dong, Itaewon, Hannam-dong, and Seongsu-dong.

The campaign offers deals at local favorites and partners with brands like Olive Young, Innisfree, and Musinsa to give out coupons and limited-edition merchandise.

Naver Map, which supports English, Chinese, and Japanese, includes features like translated reviews and custom filters for tourists.

The campaign comes as Google seeks access to South Korea’s restricted high-precision map data, which could threaten Naver’s dominance in digital maps.

🔗 Source: The Korea Times

🧠 Food for thought

I notice that no research findings or additional sources have been provided to create a properly sourced “Food for Thought” section. The instructions require that every sentence must be grounded in examples or data with clear citations to ensure credibility.

Without additional sources beyond the original article, I cannot create the requested content that meets the required standards for factual accuracy and proper citation. Creating such content would require speculation rather than evidence-based analysis, which would contradict the journalistic standards outlined in the instructions.

To proceed with this task, I would need relevant research findings, data points, and credible sources that could be cited to support any insights or patterns identified about the Korean digital mapping industry, Naver’s business strategy, or Google’s attempts to enter this market.

Recent Naver developments