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Nice Korean Friend

Privacy Policy

Last updated:

This Privacy Policy explains how Nice Korean Friend (“we”, “us”, “our”), the website available at https://nicekoreanfriend.com, collects, uses and shares information about you when you visit the site. We keep this simple on purpose: we run an editorial website, not a data business, and we collect as little as we can.

1. Who we are

Nice Korean Friend is an independent English-language publication about visiting and living in South Korea. For any privacy question or request, contact us at hello@nicekoreanfriend.com or through the contact form.

2. Information we collect

Information you give us

  • Contact form: your name, email address and message. We use these only to reply to you.

Information collected automatically

  • Analytics (Google Analytics 4): if you accept cookies, we use GA4 to understand which pages are read and how visitors find us. GA4 sets cookies and collects device information, approximate location derived from a truncated IP address, and pages viewed. We have enabled IP anonymization and do not use analytics data to identify individuals.
  • Advertising (Google AdSense): if advertising is enabled on the site and you accept cookies, Google AdSense and its certified partners set third-party cookies (such as the DoubleClick cookie) to serve ads and, where you have consented, to personalize them based on your visits to this and other websites.
  • Server logs: our hosting provider (Vercel) records standard technical logs (IP address, user agent, requested URL) for security and reliability.

Information stored only on your device

Some features use your browser’s local storage and never send data to us: your cookie consent choice and your “Start Here” checklist progress. This data stays on your device and you can clear it at any time in your browser settings.

3. Cookies and your choices

On your first visit we show a consent banner. Analytics and advertising scripts load only if you choose “Accept”. If you decline, we do not load Google Analytics or Google AdSense at all. You can change your mind at any time by clearing this site’s data in your browser, which will make the banner appear again.

You can also opt out independently of our banner:

How Google uses data from sites that use its services is described at policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites.

4. Legal bases (GDPR)

If you are in the European Economic Area or the UK, we process personal data under:

  • Consent (Art. 6(1)(a)) — analytics and advertising cookies, which you may withdraw at any time;
  • Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f)) — security logging and replying to messages you send us.

You have the right to access, correct, delete, restrict or object to the processing of your personal data, the right to data portability, and the right to lodge a complaint with your supervisory authority. To exercise any of these rights, email hello@nicekoreanfriend.com.

5. Your California privacy rights (CCPA/CPRA)

If you are a California resident, you have the right to know what personal information we collect, to request its deletion, and to opt out of its “sale” or “sharing” as those terms are defined in the CCPA/CPRA. We do not sell personal information for money. Third-party advertising cookies may constitute “sharing” under the CPRA; you can opt out by declining cookies in our banner or via the links in Section 3. We will not discriminate against you for exercising your rights. Requests: hello@nicekoreanfriend.com.

6. Data retention

  • Contact form messages: kept as long as needed to handle your inquiry, then deleted.
  • Analytics data: retained per our GA4 settings (14 months), then deleted by Google.
  • Consent choice and checklist progress: stored on your device until you clear it.

7. International transfers

Our hosting and analytics providers may process data in the United States and other countries. Where required, transfers rely on safeguards such as the EU Standard Contractual Clauses and the EU–US Data Privacy Framework.

8. Children

The site is not directed at children under 16 and we do not knowingly collect their personal data. If you believe a child has provided us personal data, contact us and we will delete it.

9. Changes to this policy

We will post any changes on this page and update the date at the top. Significant changes will be highlighted on the homepage.