Privacy Policy

1. Overview

Every Expat in Korea (EEIK) takes your privacy seriously. This policy explains what data we collect, why we collect it, how we use it, and what your rights are.

EEIK is operated by Expat Marketing, a Korean-registered business. This site is used by people from many countries. Where relevant, we note how this policy relates to common international privacy frameworks including Korea's Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and similar laws.

If you have questions, email [email protected].

2. What data we collect and why

2.1 Data you give us directly

Contact form submissions
When you use the contact form on this site, we collect your name, email address, and the content of your message. We use this to respond to your inquiry. This data is transmitted via Web3Forms and received at [email protected]. We do not retain contact form submissions in a database beyond what your email client retains.

Newsletter subscriptions
If you subscribe to the EEIK newsletter, we collect your email address. We use it to send you newsletter content. We use a third-party email platform to manage the list. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in any newsletter email.

Account registration (when launched)
If EEIK introduces user accounts, we will collect email address, display name, and any profile information you choose to provide. We will update this policy before those features launch.

Business listing submissions (when launched)
If you submit a business listing, we collect the business information you provide. We will update this policy before business listing submissions are open to the public.

2.2 Data collected automatically

Server and access logs
Our hosting infrastructure (Cloudflare Pages) may log access requests including IP addresses, browser type, referring URL, and page requested. These logs are used for security and operational purposes. Cloudflare's privacy policy governs their handling of this data.

Analytics
If EEIK uses web analytics tools, they will be listed here. Any analytics implemented will be configured to minimize personal data collection. This policy will be updated before analytics are activated.

Cookies and local storage
The EEIK site may use browser storage for functional purposes such as remembering your preferences or filter settings. We do not use tracking cookies for advertising. If this changes, we will update this policy and, where required by law, obtain your consent.

2.3 Data from third-party sources

Seoul Open Data and public transit APIs
The EEIK Transit Confidence Layer uses public APIs from Seoul Open Data and MOLIT/TAGO. These APIs do not provide personal data. No personal data you provide is sent to these APIs.

AI assistant usage
When you use the EEIK AI transportation assistant, the text of your query is sent to our AI provider (Anthropic) via a server-side proxy. We do not store your query or the AI response in our database unless you explicitly save or share it. We do not use your AI queries to train models or build personal profiles.

3. How we use your data

We use the data we collect to:

• Operate and improve the EEIK website and its features
• Respond to your contact form messages
• Send you the EEIK newsletter if you subscribed
• Display business, job, and housing listings you submitted
• Moderate community features (Heol, forum, Q&A) when launched
• Investigate abuse, spam, or misuse of the platform
• Comply with applicable law

We do not sell your personal data to third parties. We do not use your data to serve you advertising on this site. EEIK does not run advertising on its own pages.

4. Data sharing

We share data only in the following circumstances:

Service providers
We use third-party services to operate this site. Current service providers with potential access to data include:

Provider	Purpose	Privacy policy
Cloudflare	Hosting, CDN, Workers	cloudflare.com/privacypolicy
Supabase	Database (groups, articles, listings)	supabase.com/privacy
Web3Forms	Contact form processing	web3forms.com/privacy
Anthropic	AI assistant API	anthropic.com/privacy

Legal requirements
We may disclose data if required by Korean law, a court order, or a legitimate request from a government authority.

Business transfer
If EEIK or Expat Marketing is sold, merged, or transferred, user data may be part of the assets transferred. We will notify users via site notice in that event.

5. Facebook Groups directory and Recommended Groups

The EEIK Groups directory lists publicly accessible Facebook Groups. EEIK does not collect data about your interactions with Facebook or those groups. Clicking a link to a Facebook Group takes you to Facebook, which operates under Facebook's own privacy policy.

The Recommended Groups widget on city, district, and station pages operates the same way: it links to Facebook Groups; no data about your interaction with those links is stored by EEIK.

6. Data retention

Data type	Retention
Contact form submissions	As long as retained in email inbox; no separate database retention
Newsletter subscriptions	Until you unsubscribe
User accounts (when launched)	Until you delete your account or request deletion
Business/job/housing listings (when launched)	Until removed by submitter or EEIK editorial decision
Server logs	Per Cloudflare's retention policy
AI query data	Not retained by EEIK; subject to Anthropic's retention policy

7. Data security

We take reasonable technical measures to protect data stored in our systems. The EEIK site uses HTTPS. Database access is protected by row-level security policies. API keys are stored server-side and not exposed in client-side code.

No security measure is perfect. If you become aware of a security issue, please contact [email protected].

8. Your rights

Depending on your location, you may have rights including:

• Access: Request a copy of personal data we hold about you
• Correction: Ask us to correct inaccurate data
• Deletion: Ask us to delete your data
• Withdrawal of consent: Withdraw consent for data uses that rely on consent
• Objection: Object to certain types of processing

To exercise any of these rights, contact [email protected]. We will respond within 30 days.

Korea PIPA: Korean residents have rights under the Personal Information Protection Act. We comply with PIPA's requirements for personal data collection, use, and retention.

GDPR: If you are in the European Economic Area, you have rights under GDPR. Our legal basis for processing data you actively provide is your consent and/or our legitimate interest in operating the platform.

9. Children

The EEIK website is not directed at children under 14. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 14. If you believe a child under 14 has submitted data to this site, contact [email protected] and we will delete it.

10. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy at any time, including as new features launch. The "Last updated" date at the top reflects the most recent change. Continued use of the site after an update means you accept the revised policy.

For significant changes (particularly those involving new types of data collection), we will post a notice on the site.

11. Contact