These Terms of Use set forth the rights, obligations, responsibilities, service conditions and procedures, and other necessary matters between Hankyung Global News Network Co., Ltd. (the “Company”) and members in connection with the use of the Company’s paid digital content service “KED Members” (the “Service”).

Article 2 (Notice, Effect, and Amendment of the Terms)

The Company posts these Terms on the initial screen of the Service or via a linked page in a manner readily accessible to members, and they take effect when a member agrees to them.

The Company may amend these Terms to the extent permitted under applicable laws, including the Act on the Regulation of Terms and Conditions; the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection; and the Content Industry Promotion Act.

When amending these Terms, the Company specifies the effective date and reasons for the amendment and gives notice of the current Terms together with the amended Terms from at least thirty (30) days before the effective date through the date immediately preceding the effective date in the manner set out in paragraph 1, and also notifies members via the email address registered by the member. If the amendment is unfavorable to members, the Company provides a grace period of at least thirty (30) days before the effective date.

If the Company has clearly announced or notified that “if you do not express your refusal by the effective date, you will be deemed to have consented to the amended Terms,” and the member does not expressly refuse by the effective date, the member is deemed to have consented to the amended Terms.
A member who does not agree to the amended Terms may terminate the service agreement without penalty or disadvantage. If the member continues to use the Service after the amended Terms take effect, the member is deemed to have consented to them.

Article 3 (Definitions)

The terms used herein have the meanings set forth below.

“Paid Service” (the “Service”): All digital content and related services within KED Global that members may use by paying the Company a fee.

“Member”: A person who has agreed to KED Global’s general terms of service, entered into a service agreement with the Company under these Terms, and uses the Service provided by the Company.

“Content”: Materials or information expressed as codes, text, voice, sound, images, videos, etc. provided through the Service (including news articles, analytical materials, video lectures, data, and the like).

“Payment”: An act by which a member pays the usage fee to the Company through a payment method designated by the Company to use the Service.

“Recurring Payment”: A method by which the usage fee is automatically charged at a monthly or yearly interval to the payment method registered by the member in order to continue using the Service.
“Payment Gateway” or “PG”: An electronic payment service provider that processes members’ payments pursuant to a contract with the Company.

Article 4 (Formation of the Service Agreement)

The service agreement (the “Agreement”) is formed when an applicant for use (the “Applicant”) agrees to these Terms, applies for the Service through the procedure designated by the Company, and the Company accepts such application.

As a rule, the Company accepts the Applicant’s application. However, the Company may refuse acceptance or later terminate the Agreement if the application falls under any of the following:

Use of a false name or another person’s name;
False entry or omission of required information in the application;
Intent to use the Service to violate laws or disturb public order or good morals;
Acts that interfere with another person’s use of the Service or threaten electronic transaction order, such as misappropriating information;
Prior loss of user qualification for violation of these Terms (except where re‑registration is permitted by the Company);
An application by a minor under fourteen (14) years of age without legal guardian’s consent (see Article 5);
Attempted commercial use of the Service or use by unfair means not permitted by the Company;
Any other application that violates these Terms, is unlawful or improper, or is otherwise deemed necessary to refuse in the Company’s reasonable judgment.

The Company may defer acceptance until the relevant reason is resolved if:

There is a lack of Service facilities or a technical or operational obstacle;
There is a problem with the payment method or the usage fee has not been confirmed as paid;
Other comparable reasons make acceptance difficult.

The Agreement is deemed formed when the Company’s acceptance reaches the member (e.g., notice of payment completion and service availability).

Article 5 (Special Provisions for Minors)

An Applicant under fourteen (14) years of age (a “Minor”) must fully understand the purpose of collection and use of personal information and obtain the consent of his/her legal guardian (e.g., a parent) before applying for the Service. Upon the Company’s request, the Minor must submit documents confirming such consent.

If a Minor applies without legal guardian consent, the Company may refuse the application or rescind the Agreement.

A legal guardian may withdraw consent to the Minor’s use at any time, in which case the Company will promptly suspend the Minor’s use and destroy related information, except where retention is required by law for a statutory period.

Article 6 (Protection of Personal Information)

The Company endeavors to protect members’ personal information as required by the Personal Information Protection Act and other applicable laws.

Details regarding collection, use, provision, destruction, and other processing of personal information are set forth in the Company’s Privacy Policy, which is disclosed during sign‑up or via links within the Service.

The Company collects and uses personal information to the extent necessary to perform the Agreement, including providing the Service, member management, and inquiry response. Separate express consent is obtained for optional purposes such as marketing.

Where the Company must provide a member’s personal information to a third party, it will inform the member in advance of the recipient, purpose, items provided, and retention/use period, and obtain consent, except where otherwise required by law.

The Company may use cookies in relation to the Service. Members may configure their web browser to refuse cookies or to be warned upon receipt. Details follow the Privacy Policy.

A member may at any time view or edit his/her personal information, or request account termination, in accordance with the procedures set forth in the Privacy Policy.

The Company promptly destroys personal information after the purpose of collection/use is achieved, provided that information may be retained for periods required by law. Specific destruction procedures and methods are described in the Privacy Policy.

Article 7 (Obligations of the Company)

The Company will not engage in acts prohibited by law or contrary to public morals and will endeavor to provide the Service continuously and stably.

The Company maintains appropriate security systems to protect members’ personal information (including credit information) and discloses and complies with its Privacy Policy.

Where a member raises an opinion or complaint related to use of the Service and the Company considers it justified, the Company will handle it and notify the member of the handling process and result via the bulletin board, email, etc.

If issues arise in the paid payment process due to the fault of the PG, the Company will cooperate and provide necessary support to resolve them. However, for matters within the PG’s direct responsibility (e.g., payment errors, refund processing delays), the PG’s terms and policies may prevail, and the Company may not bear direct legal liability. Points of contact by method:

Credit card payment issues (excluding refunds/cancellations): Contact the relevant PG;
Apple In‑App Purchase (IAP) payment/refund/cancellation issues: Contact Apple App Store Support;
Google Play IAP payment/refund/cancellation issues: Contact Google Play Support.

Article 8 (Obligations of Members)

Members must not:

Register false information at sign‑up or when changing information;
Misappropriate another person’s information;
Alter information posted by the Company;
Transmit or post information (including computer programs) other than that designated by the Company;
Infringe the intellectual property rights of the Company or any third party;
Defame or interfere with the business of the Company or any third party;
Post or disclose obscene or violent messages, images, sounds, or other information contrary to public order and morals through the Service;
Use the Service for commercial purposes without the Company’s consent; or
Engage in other unlawful or improper acts.

Members must comply with applicable laws, these Terms, usage guidelines and precautions announced in connection with the Service, and any notices from the Company, and must not interfere with the Company’s operations.

Members may use all Content and related materials provided through the Service solely for personal and non‑commercial purposes. If a member conducts commercial activities in violation of these Terms or infringes the Company’s intellectual property rights, the member bears all resulting legal responsibility; the Company assumes no liability therefor.

Members are responsible for managing their ID and password and must not permit use by, or transfer or lend them to, a third party. Members are, in principle, responsible for disadvantages arising from leakage or theft of their ID or password, except where attributable to the Company.

If information provided at sign‑up changes, the member must update it online or notify the Company by email or other means. The Company is not liable for disadvantages arising from failure to notify such changes.

Article 9 (Suspension of the Service, etc.)

The Company may temporarily suspend the Service for reasons such as maintenance, replacement or malfunction of information and communications equipment (e.g., computers), communication outages, or other operational reasons. In such case, the Company notifies members as set out in Article 2(3); if prior notice is not possible due to unavoidable circumstances, notice may be given afterwards.

If the Service can no longer be provided due to reasons such as a change of business line, business discontinuation, or merger, the Company will notify members as set out in Article 2(3) and compensate members in accordance with the conditions originally presented by the Company.

If a member violates obligations under these Terms or interferes with normal operation of the Service, the Company may notify the member of the violation by letter, email, or in‑Service notice and demand correction, or, depending on severity, may impose stepwise restrictions such as warning, temporary suspension, or permanent suspension. In urgent cases (e.g., statutory requirements or infringement of others’ rights), the Company may restrict use without prior notice and notify afterwards. The Company may restrict access by such member and delete all or part of related postings.

Considering factors such as usage rates of IDs and other information set at sign‑up and the intended purpose of the Service, if necessary, the Company may recommend that a member change or delete an ID or other information. If the member unreasonably fails to comply, the Company may change or delete such information.

Article 10 (Payment)

Usage fees may be paid by the method selected by the member from among the payment methods provided by the Company (e.g., credit card, bank transfer, in‑app purchase).

The Service is provided on a recurring payment basis. When a member applies for the Service and registers a payment method, the usage fee is automatically charged at the agreed interval (e.g., monthly or annually) to that method.

Members may use the Service during the paid term, and unless recurring payment is canceled, charges renew automatically at the agreed interval. The Company gives clear prior notice of the scheduled charge amount and date/time at least seven (7) days before renewal via email, short message service (SMS), or in‑Service notifications.

Members may cancel recurring payments at any time through “My Page” within the Service or via Customer Support. Upon cancellation, no further charges will occur from the next billing date, and the member may continue to use the Service until the end of the current paid term.

If recurring payment fails due to expiration, over‑limit, loss, or change of the registered payment method, the Service may be temporarily suspended. The Company notifies the member upon failure and may attempt re‑charge up to three (3) times over three (3) days. If payment is still not completed within that period, the Agreement may be automatically terminated.

Usage fees may change in accordance with Company policy, in which case notice and notification are given pursuant to Article 2.

Article 11 (Withdrawal of Subscription, etc.)

A member who has entered into the Agreement may withdraw the subscription within seven (7) days of the contract date or the date the Service became available, in accordance with the Act on the Consumer Protection in Electronic Commerce (“E‑Commerce Act”), etc. and other applicable laws.

However, withdrawal may be restricted in any of the following cases:

(1) Where the Service or Content is destroyed or damaged due to a reason attributable to the member (excluding destruction of packaging, etc. to check the content);

(2) Where the value of the Service or Content has significantly decreased due to the member’s use or partial consumption (e.g., for digital Content, where it has been accessed/used by download or streaming; trial versions or previews are excluded where they allowed prior confirmation);

(3) Where the value of the Service or Content has significantly decreased due to the passage of time, making resale difficult;

(4) Where the packaging of reproducible Content has been damaged;

(5) Other cases prescribed by law for transaction safety.

In the cases set forth in paragraph 2, Items 2 or 4 of Article 11, if the Company failed to clearly indicate, in a place readily accessible to the member, that withdrawal is restricted, or failed to provide a trial product, etc., the member’s withdrawal is not restricted.

Notwithstanding Article 1, if the Service supplied is different from what was advertised or differs from the contract terms, the member may withdraw the subscription within three (3) months of supply or within thirty (30) days of becoming aware (or when he/she could have become aware) of such fact.

A member’s notice of withdrawal of subscription by means such as written document (including by electronic document), email, phone, or in‑Service inquiry takes effect when received by the Company.

Upon receiving a Member’s notice of withdrawal of subscription, the Company shall without delay acknowledge receipt thereof to the Member and refund any payment already received within three (3) business days. If the Company delays the refund, it shall pay late interest on the delayed amount, calculated at the rate prescribed in the Enforcement Decree of the E‑Commerce Act (currently 15% per annum) for the period of delay.

Refunds shall, in principle, be made by the same method as the original payment provided; if such method is not available, the Company shall inform the member in advance and make the refund by another method.

Upon withdrawal of subscription, the Company shall bear any costs necessary for the return of the Service or Content, and shall not claim any penalty or damages against the member.

Article 12 (Termination and Restriction by the Company)

If a member commits any of the following, the Company may, after prior notice, terminate the Agreement or restrict use for a specified period; however, where urgent measures are required, the Company may provide notice thereafter:

Violation of Article 8 (Obligations of Members);
Intentional dissemination of content detrimental to public order and morals;
Planning or executing use of the Service to harm national or public interests;
Theft of another person’s ID or password;
Use of a false identity or the name of another person to register (except for Minors with the consent of their guardians);
Dual registration of the same user under different IDs (except where permitted by the Company);
Transmission of mass information or advertising with the purpose of disrupting stable Service operation;
Violation of applicable laws, these Terms, or other conditions prescribed by the Company.

Where the Company terminates under paragraph 1, it shall make the refund to the member the portion of fees corresponding to the remaining period. However, if the member’s material breach of these terms caused damage to the Company, the Company may set off the amount of such damages against the refund.

Termination under this Article takes effect when the Company’s notice, in accordance with its notification procedures, is delivered to the member.

If the member objects to termination or restriction, he/she may file an objection within fifteen (15) days of receipt. If the objection is found justified, the Company shall promptly rescind the measure and extend the use period by the restricted period or provide equivalent compensation.

Article 13 (Mid‑Term Termination and Refunds)

A member may terminate the Agreement (including cancellation of recurring payments) at any time during the subscription period. The Company will process the termination immediately upon receipt of the request.

If a member requests termination before the end of the subscription period, the Company will deduct amounts calculated under the standards below from the fees already paid and refund the remainder.

For monthly subscription services:
- Within 7 days from payment, if the Service has not been used at all: full refund (Article 11 on withdrawal of subscription applies first).
- After 7 days from payment or if the Service has been partially used:

Refund calculation formula

Refund = Amount Paid − Usage Amount − Early Termination Fee

Standards for calculating the Usage Amount

The Usage Amount is calculated based on the regular price and the proportion of use.
The usage ratio is calculated based on the greater of (i) the actual number of days of use or (ii) the volume of paid content accessed.
If the calculated Usage Amount exceeds the actual Amount Paid, the Usage Amount shall be deemed equal to the Amount Paid.

Early Termination Fee
- An early termination fee of up to 10% of the remaining usage fee may be charged.
- If the refund calculation results in zero or less, no refund shall be made.
Promotions
- An early termination fee of up to 10% of the remaining usage fee may be charged.
- If the refund calculation results in zero or less, no refund shall be made.
For annual subscription services:
- The same standards as those applicable to monthly subscriptions apply mutatis mutandis, with reasonable consideration given to discounts for long-term contracts.

Regarding refund fees: The Company shall not deduct any unfair fees in cases where termination is not attributable to the member or where termination is due to the Company’s fault. In the case of mid-term termination resulting from the member’s simple change of mind, the Company may deduct only the minimum actual costs reasonably incurred by the Company, such as payment gateway processing fees, and only where such costs are clearly identifiable. In such cases, the Company shall provide prior notice. The member’s right to receive a refund shall be guaranteed even for small amounts, and no provision shall deny refunds below a certain threshold.

Where a member has purchased a bundled (package) product and requests mid-term termination after using part of the Service or goods, the portion already used shall be deducted based on the regular price of each individual Service or product, and the refund provisions of this Article shall apply to the remaining balance. In such cases, any bundle discount applied may lapse upon termination.

For Services purchased through external app markets such as the Apple App Store or Google Play, cancellations and refunds shall follow the policies of the relevant app market, and the member may be required to request a refund directly through the customer support channels of the app market. The Company shall cooperate by providing the necessary information in this process.

Refunds shall, in principle, be processed within five (5) business days from the date of request, and the method of refund shall be in accordance with Article 11(7).

Article 14 (Damages)

If either the Company or a member breaches its obligations under these Terms and causes damage to the other party, the breaching party must compensate such damage.

The Company is liable for damages only where the member’s damage results from the Company’s willful misconduct or gross negligence. Except as otherwise required by law, the Company is not liable for Service failures not attributable to it, loss of expected profits, indirect, special, or consequential damages.

If a member violates these Terms or applicable laws and causes damage to the Company or a third party, the member bears all resulting liability.

Article 15 (Disclaimers)

The Company is not responsible for failure to provide the Service due to force majeure, including natural disasters.

The Company is not responsible for Service failures attributable to the member.

The Company does not warrant the reliability or accuracy of information, materials, or facts posted by members in connection with the Service and assumes no liability for resulting damages.

The Company is not responsible for transactions between members, or between a member and a third party, conducted through the Service.

All information, software, products, and other services included in the Service may contain inaccuracies or typographical errors and are subject to change.

Securities and investment‑related information (including data) provided through the Service is furnished for reference to assist members’ investment judgments and does not constitute a recommendation or solicitation to buy or sell any security. Members make investment decisions at their own judgment and risk. The Company does not warrant completeness, accuracy, or timeliness and assumes no liability for losses arising from errors, omissions, delays, or investment results based on such information.

The disclaimers in this Article do not apply to damages caused by the Company’s willful misconduct or gross negligence.

Article 16 (Refund of Overpayments)

Where an overpayment occurs, the Company shall refund the full amount by the same method as payment; if such method is not available, it informs the member in advance and make the refund by another method.

If the overpayment is attributable to the Company, the full amount is refunded regardless of processing costs or fees. If attributable to the member, reasonable costs incurred to refund may be borne by the member.

If the Company refuses a refund claimed by a member on the grounds of overpayment, the Company bears the burden of proving that the charge was proper.

The Company handles overpayment refunds in accordance with the Guidelines for the Protection of Content Users and applicable laws.

Article 17 (Matters Not Specified)

Matters not provided for herein are governed by the E‑Commerce Act, the Act on the Regulation of Terms and Conditions, the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, the Content Industry Promotion Act, and customary practices.

The Company may establish and announce additional usage guides or operating policies for particular Services, which shall form part of these Terms.

Article 18 (Complaint Handling and Dispute Resolution)

The Company establishes and operates a customer center to reflect members’ legitimate opinions or complaints and to compensate for damages.

Customer Center: Support
Hours: Weekdays 9:00–18:00 (KST), excluding weekends and public holidays

The Company gives priority to handling complaints and opinions submitted by members; if prompt handling is difficult, the Company informs the member of the reason and the expected handling schedule without delay.

For e‑commerce disputes between the Company and a member, if the member seeks relief, the parties may follow mediation by a dispute mediation agency commissioned by the Korea Fair Trade Commission or by the relevant metropolitan/provincial governor.

Article 19 (Intellectual Property)

Copyright and other intellectual property rights in works created by the Company and in the Service itself belong to the Company.

Members must not, without the prior consent of the Company, use for commercial purposes or permit a third party to use information obtained through the Service in which intellectual property rights belong to the Company, by means of reproduction, transmission, publication, distribution, broadcasting, or otherwise.

Copyright in postings (comments, reviews, idea proposals, etc.) posted by members within the Service belongs to the authors of such postings.

Postings by members may be displayed on the Company’s Service and related promotions and, to the extent necessary for such exposure, may be partially modified, reproduced, or edited. In such case the Company complies with copyright laws, and members may at any time delete or make such postings private through Customer Center or in‑Service management functions.

If the Company intends to use a member’s posting in ways beyond paragraph 4, it will obtain the member’s prior consent by phone, fax, or email.

Article 20 (Prohibition on Assignment)

Members shall not assign or transfer their rights to use the Service or their status under the Agreement to any third party, or provide them as collateral, without the Company’s prior express consent.

Article 21 (Advertising)

The Company may display advertisements on the Service screens, on its website, or by email in connection with the operation of the Service.

A member who receives an email containing advertisements may refuse further emails by expressing an intent to opt out.

Article 22 (Provision of Information and Notices)

The Company may provide members with information deemed necessary for use of the Service via announcements, email, SMS/LMS, or app push notifications.

Except for transaction‑related information required by law and responses to customer inquiries, members may at any time opt out of receiving advertising information.

For notices to all members, posting on the Service noticeboard for seven (7) days or more may substitute individual notice. However, matters that materially affect a specific member’s transaction are, in principle, notified individually.

Article 23 (Governing Law and Jurisdiction)

Lawsuits between the Company and a member are governed by the laws of the Republic of Korea.

Jurisdiction over disputes between the Company and a member lies with the district court having jurisdiction over the member’s address at the time of filing; if no address is available, with the court having jurisdiction over the member’s place of residence. If the address or place of residence is unclear or the member resides abroad, jurisdiction is determined under the Civil Procedure Act.

Addendum

Article 1 (Effective Date)

These Terms shall take effect on October 2, 2025.

Article 2 (Supersession of Previous Terms)

These Terms replace all previous terms and conditions that applied prior to their effective date. However, matters that occurred before the effective date may still be governed by the previous terms.

Article 3 (Application to New Members)

These Terms also apply to new members who register after the date of notice and before the effective date.

These Terms are originally written in Korean and governed by the laws of the Republic of Korea. The English version is provided for reference purposes only. In case of discrepancies between the Korean and English versions, the Korean version shall prevail.