Seoul Wellness & Local Guide (https://seoulwellnessguide.com) is an independent, English-language publication about Seoul travel practicalities, public transport, solo dining, neighbourhood walks and K-beauty wellness. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect when you read or interact with the site, why we collect it, how long we keep it, who we share it with, and the rights you have over it.
- 1. Who we are and what this policy covers
- 2. Information we collect
- 3. Cookies and similar technologies
- 4. Third-party advertising (Google AdSense) and web beacons
- 5. Analytics and measurement
- 6. Affiliate link tracking
- 7. How we use information
- 8. Legal bases for processing (EEA/UK GDPR)
- 9. When we share information
- 10. International data transfers
- 11. How long we keep information
- 12. Your privacy rights
- 13. Children’s privacy (COPPA)
- 14. Security
- 15. Changes to this policy
- 16. How to contact us
1. Who we are and what this policy covers
Seoul Wellness & Local Guide is a personal editorial project written and run by Soye, a Seoul-based local and recreational runner. The site is hosted on Hostinger infrastructure and published at https://seoulwellnessguide.com. For everything in this policy, the data controller is the publisher of this site, reachable at syoon314@gmail.com.
This policy covers this website only. It does not govern the practices of the booking platforms, shops, salons, clinics or other third-party services we link to. Those services have their own privacy policies, and we encourage you to read them before you book, buy or share information there.
2. Information we collect
Information you give us voluntarily
- Contact details and message content you send by email or through a contact form: your name or handle, email address, the content of your message and any attachments.
- Comments and public contributions, if commenting is enabled: the name and email address you enter, your comment text and the page it belongs to.
- Newsletter subscription details, if you subscribe: your email address and the date you subscribed.
Information collected automatically
As with most websites, our server and the analytics and advertising services we use record technical information when a page loads, including:
- IP address and an approximate location derived from it (city or region level, not a street address);
- browser type and version, operating system, device type and screen size;
- the pages you view, the page that referred you, links you click and the date and time of your visit;
- a randomly generated identifier stored in a cookie or similar technology, and your stated cookie choices.
We do not ask for, and do not want, sensitive personal information such as health data, biometric data, government identification numbers or payment card numbers through this site. If you send such information to us by email, we will delete it once your enquiry is answered unless we must keep it.
3. Cookies and similar technologies
Cookies are small text files placed on your device, and similar technologies include local storage, pixels and web beacons. This site uses them in three ways:
- Essential — remembering your cookie choice and keeping the site working and secure.
- Analytics — understanding which guides are read and how visitors move through the site, in aggregate.
- Advertising and affiliate measurement — set by advertising or partner services, so that ads can be delivered and partner referrals can be attributed.
You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings at any time. Blocking all cookies may affect how parts of the site work. Where a consent banner is shown to you, you can change or withdraw that consent later through the same banner or your browser settings.
4. Third-party advertising (Google AdSense) and web beacons
This site may display advertising served by Google and other third-party vendors, including through Google AdSense. Those vendors may use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this website and other websites.
- Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this and other websites.
- Google’s use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to you based on your visit to this site and/or other sites on the internet.
- Third-party advertising companies may also use web beacons (small transparent images), pixels or similar technologies to measure ad performance and to recognise your browser.
- You may opt out of personalised advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings, or opt out of a third-party vendor’s use of cookies for personalised advertising at aboutads.info. Visitors in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom and Switzerland can manage vendor consent at youronlinechoices.eu.
We do not control third-party cookies and cannot read the data those vendors hold. What they collect is governed by their own privacy policies, including Google’s partner sites policy and Google’s Privacy Policy. We do not sell your personal information, and we do not pass your name or email address to advertisers.
5. Analytics and measurement
We use Google Analytics (and Google Search Console for search-performance reporting) to understand how the site is used: which guides are read, how visitors arrive, which devices they use and roughly where they are. Analytics data is used in aggregate to decide what to write and how to improve pages. IP anonymisation is enabled where the tool supports it, and we set data retention to the shortest period that still lets us compare seasons and years. You can refuse analytics measurement by blocking cookies for this site, or by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on. Google’s processing for analytics is described in Google’s partner sites policy.
6. Affiliate link tracking
Some links on this site are affiliate links. When you click one and complete a booking or purchase, the partner — for example Klook, Agoda, WOWPASS, Booking.com, GetYourGuide and Korean eSIM and transit-card providers — may set a cookie that records that the visit came from this site, so that any commission can be attributed. That cookie is set by the partner, not by us, and lives for the period stated in the partner’s own cookie and privacy notices. We do not receive your payment details, your full address or your account password from those partners; typically we receive only an order reference, a date and a commission amount. Our Affiliate Disclosure explains the commercial relationship in full.
7. How we use information
- To answer your emails, corrections and enquiries;
- to operate, secure and maintain the website, including preventing spam and abuse;
- to measure readership and improve our guides;
- to deliver advertising that funds the site, and to measure affiliate referrals;
- to comply with legal obligations and to establish or defend legal claims.
We do not sell personal information, we do not rent mailing lists, and we do not send promotional email to addresses collected through this site without a separate, affirmative opt-in.
8. Legal bases for processing (EEA/UK GDPR)
Where the EU or UK General Data Protection Regulation applies, we rely on the following legal bases:
| Purpose | Legal basis |
|---|---|
| Answering your enquiry or correction request | Legitimate interests (responding to you), or steps preparatory to a contract |
| Essential cookies and site security | Legitimate interests in operating a safe website |
| Analytics cookies | Consent where required, otherwise legitimate interests in measuring readership |
| Advertising and affiliate cookies | Consent, collected through the consent banner where one is shown |
| Keeping records required by law | Legal obligation |
9. When we share information
We share information only as needed to run the site:
- Hosting and infrastructure — Hostinger, which stores the site files and server logs.
- Measurement and advertising providers — Google (Analytics, Search Console, AdSense) and any other advertising vendor loaded on a page.
- Email and communication providers used to receive and answer your messages.
- Affiliate networks and partners, only in the technical sense that a click on an affiliate link carries a referral identifier to them.
- Legal disclosure — where we are required by law, subpoena or a lawful request from a public authority, or where disclosure is necessary to protect rights, safety or property.
- Business transfer — if the site is sold or transferred, reader data held by us may transfer with it, subject to this policy.
10. International data transfers
Our hosting and the services above operate servers in the United States, the European Union and the Republic of Korea, so information may be processed outside the country you live in. Where personal data protected by the GDPR is transferred, the providers rely on adequacy decisions or Standard Contractual Clauses. Because this site is a small editorial project, the volume of personal data we hold directly is limited mostly to correspondence.
11. How long we keep information
- Emails and enquiries: up to 24 months after the conversation ends, then deleted, unless the exchange is needed for an ongoing correction or legal matter.
- Comments: for as long as the page is published, unless you ask us to remove yours.
- Server logs: normally no more than 30 days, subject to the host’s retention settings.
- Analytics data: aggregated and retained in Google Analytics for the configured retention period.
- Newsletter records: until you unsubscribe, plus a short suppression record so you are not re-added.
12. Your privacy rights
If you are in the EEA, the UK or Switzerland (GDPR)
You have the right to access your personal data, to have it corrected, to have it erased, to restrict or object to processing, to data portability, and to withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority. We will respond to a verified request within one month.
If you are a California resident (CCPA/CPRA)
You have the right to know what personal information we collect and how we use and share it, the right to request deletion, the right to request correction, the right to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information, and the right not to be discriminated against for exercising these rights. We do not sell personal information as those terms are defined by the CCPA/CPRA. Advertising cookies set by third-party vendors may constitute “sharing” for cross-context behavioural advertising; you can opt out through the consent banner where shown, your browser settings, or Google Ads Settings. We honour Global Privacy Control (GPC) signals where our consent tooling supports them.
If you are in the Republic of Korea (PIPA)
You may request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal information, and may withdraw consent, by writing to the address below. We will handle the request within the period required by law.
How to exercise a right
Email syoon314@gmail.com with the subject line “Privacy request”. Because we hold very little data, we may ask you to confirm the email address you used so that we do not disclose or delete the wrong person’s information. Exercising these rights is free.
13. Children’s privacy (COPPA)
This site is written for adults planning travel, skincare or running in Korea. It is not directed to children under 13 (or under 16 in the EEA/UK), and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. If you are a parent or guardian and believe a child has sent us personal information, email syoon314@gmail.com and we will delete it promptly. Content on this site is not intended to be used by children, and we do not knowingly permit children to post comments or subscribe.
14. Security
The site is served over HTTPS, and access to the publishing system is limited to the site owner with two-factor-protected accounts where the service offers it. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. We keep the amount of personal data we hold deliberately small so that a breach would affect as little as possible.
15. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy when we add a service, change an advertising or analytics provider, or when the law changes. The “Last updated” date at the top always shows the current version, and material changes will be noted on this page. Continued use of the site after an update means you accept the revised policy.
16. How to contact us
Privacy questions, data requests and complaints: syoon314@gmail.com. We aim to reply within 24–48 hours and to resolve data requests within the statutory deadline.