U.S. Gives South Korea Digital Map

The United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, promised to deliver "digital topography intelligence" to South Korea. The Korea Times quoted an unnamed official in Seoul as saying that the U.S. would give the map to Kim Jang-soo, South Korean Army chief of staff, during his visit to Washington last week.

The digital map, which was drawn using the U.S. military's latest satellite images is said to contain information, that could be used "in times of emergency'' to conduct surgical strikes. South Korea remains technically at war with its communist neighbor, North Korea.

The South Korean Army has an outdated version of the digital map, which also was provided by the United States in 1993. The unnamed official said that it has not been updated since.

The South Korean Air Force had planned to import a military software, named Digital Point Positioning Data Base (DPPDB), from the U.S. to enhance its ability of attacking underground bunkers. However, the effort had run afoul of U.S. laws that govern exports of high tech software.