Kakao Map Shows Detailed North Korean Sites Including Pyongyang Universities

Kakao Map displayed detailed locations inside North Korea on June 22, including Kim Il Sung University and Pyongyang University of Education in the capital as well as specific train stations. Local online posts drew attention to the images the same day. , rendered these sites with precision.

Shows only large features such as mountains and bridges in North Korea and blocks exact positions of facilities like universities or hospitals. Kakao Map draws on geographic data that includes material from the state-backed National Geographic Information Institute. Naver Map relies on OpenStreetMap, the volunteer-edited global database launched in the United Kingdom in 2004.

Both companies stated they restrict users from searching North Korean locations directly. The sites remain visible, however, when users manually pan the map northward. Yonhap published a screen-captured image of the Pyongyang map from Kakao Map.