South Korean search giant Daum has a better map of North Korea than Google

South Korean internet search giant Daum has added free new maps of North Korea to its mapping service, according to North Korea Tech.

The new online maps reportedly provide greater coverage and detail than the existing Google Maps. It includes details, roads, railways, buildings, and landmarks. Google Maps’ satellite imagery shows many of the same details, but the actual maps are “largely devoid of roads and other landmarks.” They also claim to cover rural areas whereas Google only covers major cities. However, Daum’s satellite images are less crisp because of a lower spatial resolution than Google’s.

Daum’s North Korea satellite imagery on top, Google’s on bottom.

Tech in Asia found these assertions to be true in our own tests. Daum’s maps not only had roads that didn’t appear on Google Maps, but entire rivers and airports. That said, both were lacking road and landmark names that online map users in other countries have come to expect. They’ve got a long way to go.

Daum (top) and Google (bottom). Yeah, it’s the same area.

Daum’s maps are made up of data from South Korea’s National Geographic Information Institute, which put it up for sale last year. Prior to that, the information was confidential. Before Daum launched the map service to the public, it was only available to businesses.

A Daum spokesperson told Korea Bizwire that the maps are an excellent tool for those with families in North Korea to get a bird’s eye view of their hometown, while other users can use it to better understand the Hermit Kingdom.

See: Korean messaging app KakaoTalk to merge with Daum, the country’s second-largest web portal (UPDATED)

Google first launched navigation for North Korea earlier this year.