Terms of Use
Terms of Service
Article 1 (Purpose)
The purpose of these Terms and Conditions is to set forth the rights, obligations, and responsibilities between the members (hereinafter referred to as "Members", referring to individuals who agree to these Terms) and Kakao Corporation (hereinafter referred to as "Company") in relation to the use of the Tistory service (hereinafter referred to as "Service") provided by the Company.
Article 2 (Specification, Effect, and Amendment of the Terms)
(1) The Company shall make the content of these Terms available to Members through the service screen (www.tistory.com) for notice.
(2) The Company may amend these Terms to the extent that it does not violate relevant laws, such as the Content Industry Promotion Act, the Consumer Protection Act in E-commerce, the Act on the Regulation of Terms and Conditions, and the Consumer Basic Act.
(3) If the Company amends the Terms, it will notify the Members of the revised Terms and their effective date along with the reason for the amendments by posting them alongside the current Terms at least fifteen (15) days before the effective date. In the case where the amendment is unfavorable to the Members, the notification will be made thirty (30) days in advance, and email notifications will be sent to the Members as well.
(4) If the Member does not explicitly express refusal after being notified of the changes from the date of notification to seven (7) days after the implementation date of the revised Terms, it will be deemed that the Member has agreed to the changes. If the Member does not agree to the amended Terms, they may terminate the service agreement as per Article 15, Paragraph 1.
(5) When using the service with a Kakao account, the terms applicable to the Kakao account (collectively referred to as "Kakao Terms," meaning the Kakao Unified Service Terms, Kakao Unified Terms, or Kakao Service Terms) and its operational policies will apply alongside these Terms. If there is any conflict between the Kakao Terms and these Terms or in cases where the Kakao Terms do not cover certain points, these Terms will take precedence.
(6) When using the Youtube plugin in posts, Members must comply with Youtube's Terms of Service.
Article 3 (Provision of Service)
(1) The types of services provided by the Company are as follows:
- ① Tistory service
- ② Any other services developed by the Company that are additionally provided to Members
Article 4 (Use of the Service)
(1) The service will, in principle, be available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year (00:00-24:00), except when it is impossible due to business or technical reasons. However, the Company may temporarily suspend the service or limit service hours for regular maintenance of the service facilities, and in such cases, the Company will notify the Members in advance. In the case of urgent, unforeseen reasons, the Company may notify the Members after the fact.
(2) In such cases, the Company will notify the Members via email. In the case of notifications to a large, unspecified number of Members, the notification will be posted on the Company’s website or on the service’s notice page.
Article 5 (Notification of Service Changes)
(1) If the Company changes or terminates the services specified in Article 3, it will notify the Members of the changes or termination via email. In the case of notifications to a large, unspecified number of Members, the notification will be posted on the Company’s website or on the service’s notice page.
Article 6 (Ownership of Rights and Use of Content)
(1) All rights, including copyright, to the services provided by the Company belong to the Company. All rights to the posts and content created by Members (hereinafter referred to as “Posts”) during their use of the service, unless otherwise specified, belong to the individual Members. However, for team blogs specified in Article 8, the provisions of Article 8 shall apply.
(2) Posts may be exposed through the Company’s internet sites and mobile applications and may also appear in search results or related promotions. The Company and its affiliates may use the Posts for the purpose of service improvement and research and development. The Posts may be partially modified or edited as necessary for such exposure and use. In this case, the Company will comply with the provisions of the copyright law, and Members may delete, exclude from search results, or make the content private at any time through the customer center or management functions within each service (although deletion may not be possible depending on the method of use or the nature of the content).
(3) If the Company wishes to use the Posts in ways other than those specified in the previous paragraph, it will obtain the Member’s prior consent via email.
Article 7 (Restrictions and Suspension of Service Use)
(1) The Company may restrict or suspend a Member’s use of the service for any of the following reasons:
- ① If the Member intentionally or negligently interferes with the operation of the service
- ② If the Member violates these Terms, including Article 12
- ③ If it is unavoidable due to maintenance, repair, or construction of service facilities
- ④ If telecommunications services are suspended by a licensed telecommunications operator as stipulated by the Telecommunications Business Act
- ⑤ If the service use is disrupted due to national emergencies, service facility malfunctions, or excessive usage
- ⑥ If the Company deems it inappropriate to continue providing the service due to significant reasons
- ⑦ If the Member violates the Kakao Terms or Kakao operational policies when using the service with a Kakao account
(2) When the Company restricts or suspends service use as per the provisions above, it will notify the Member of the reason and the period of restriction.
(3) If the Company decides to terminate the contract and cancel the membership as per Article 15, Paragraph 2, it will notify the Member before proceeding with the cancellation. The Member will have 30 days from the date of notification to submit an objection.
(4) Under the Information and Communications Network Act, if a Member’s publicly posted content violates the privacy or defames the character of another Member or third party, the affected Member or third party (hereinafter referred to as the “Applicant for Removal”) may request the removal of such content or the posting of a rebuttal by providing evidence to the Company. In such cases, the Company may take temporary measures (hereinafter referred to as “Temporary Measures”) to block access to the content for up to 30 days if the violation is not immediately clear or if a dispute is expected.
(5) If the content posted by a Member is subject to Temporary Measures, the Member (hereinafter referred to as “Poster”) may request the restoration of the content (hereinafter referred to as “Reposting Request”) during the Temporary Measure period. If the Poster and the Applicant for Removal agree to request a review by the Korea Communications Standards Commission, the Company will request the review on their behalf. If they do not agree, the Company will make its own decision regarding the restoration of the content. If the review or decision is not made within the Temporary Measure period, the content will be restored after the Temporary Measure expires. If no Reposting Request is made, the content will be deleted after the Temporary Measure period expires.
(6) If the Company deems that the posted content infringes on the privacy or defames a third party’s reputation, it may take Temporary Measures (hereinafter referred to as “Discretionary Temporary Measures”) even without a report from a Member or third party. The procedure for handling content subject to Discretionary Temporary Measures follows the provisions of Paragraphs 4 and 5.
(7) If a third party initiates legal action, such as a civil or criminal case, against a Member or the Company based on the legal interests affected by the Member’s posted content, the Company may temporarily restrict access to the content until a final court ruling is made. The responsibility for proving the legal basis for such restrictions and providing the final court ruling lies with the party requesting the restriction.
Article 8 (Team Blog Service)
(1) All blogs provided by the Company’s service can be operated as team blogs at the discretion of the member who created the blog.
(2) A member may be invited to another member’s team blog via an invitation email, and by agreeing to the content of the invitation email and accepting it, the member can join as a member of the team blog.
(3) The member roles in a team blog are divided into four levels: owner, manager, editor, and author. The duties of each member are the same as those specified in Article 12. The rights and responsibilities of members in a team blog are as follows:
- ① The owner (referring to the member who created the team blog) has all rights related to the operation of the team blog and may invite other members, manage the creation, operation, closure, and membership of the team blog. The owner may also grant membership management authority to a manager (a member designated with operational authority by the owner).
- ② The manager can manage the rights of editors and authors in addition to the membership management authority granted by the owner.
- ③ The editor has the authority to edit posts published by authors on the team blog, but cannot perform membership management tasks.
- ④ The author can post content on the team blog and has editing rights for their own posts. Content posted by authors becomes the intellectual property of the team blog, but only if it is publicly shared. Authors do not have membership management authority.
(4) All members of the team blog are free to leave the team blog. Content posted on the team blog is recognized as part of the team blog’s intellectual property, and no separate deletion process is performed when a member leaves.
(5) The owner of the team blog bears all responsibility for the content posted on the team blog.
(6) In the event the account of the team blog owner is deactivated due to dormancy or other reasons, or if the owner cannot maintain their rights, the Company will transfer the ownership to the next highest-ranked member (in the order of manager, editor, and author). If there are multiple members of the same rank, the ownership will be transferred to the member who joined first. The transfer of ownership will occur immediately when the owner’s account is deactivated.
Article 9 (Advertisements in the Service)
The Company may display advertisements within the service, and the form, placement, exposure frequency, and revenue allocation for such advertisements will be determined by the Company.
Article 10 (Support Feature)
(1) The support feature in Tistory allows users to express appreciation and encouragement for creators’ content through donations and messages.
(2) Creators selected based on the Company’s internal criteria can use the support-related features after agreeing to the terms of the creator’s settlement center.
(3) Donations received through the support feature can be collected at the creator’s settlement center, and the donation payment criteria are determined by the settlement center’s terms of use.
(4) The support feature is available only to members who are 14 years or older and have completed identity verification.
(5) The support feature is a non-refundable service, as per the Content Industry Promotion Act, since it is a voluntary payment by the member.
(6) Any matters not specified in these terms regarding the use of this service will be governed by the Kakao Terms.
Article 11 (Company’s Obligations)
(1) The Company shall faithfully maintain, inspect, and restore its facilities to provide continuous and stable service.
(2) The Company shall not send commercial emails for profit purposes that members do not wish to receive.
(3) The Company will not disclose or distribute members' personal information obtained in connection with the service to third parties without the member’s consent, and will endeavor to protect such information. Other matters concerning the protection of personal information will follow the provisions of the "Personal Information Handling Policy" set by the Company and relevant laws such as the Information and Communications Network Act. However, when using the service with a Kakao account, Kakao's personal information policy applies.
Article 12 (Members’ Obligations)
(1) Members shall not engage in any of the following activities:
- ① Registering false information in member details
- ② Modifying information posted on the Company’s service or using information obtained through the service for commercial or non-commercial purposes without the Company’s prior approval
- ③ Providing promotional opportunities for oneself or acting as an intermediary for third parties to engage in promotional activities in exchange for money while using the service
- ④ Defaming the Company or a third party, infringing intellectual property rights, or otherwise infringing upon the rights of the Company or third parties
- ⑤ Illegally using another member's email address or password to unjustly access the service
- ⑥ Sending junk mail, spam mail, chain letters, invitations to pyramid schemes, obscene or violent messages, images, or sounds, or disclosing or posting content that goes against public order and morals
- ⑦ Transmitting or posting information prohibited by law, such as computer programs, or posting harmful media materials to minors as defined by the Youth Protection Act
- ⑧ Disseminating information, statements, drawings, or sounds that violate public order or good morals
- ⑨ Impersonating a Company employee or service administrator, or posting or sending messages under another person’s name
- ⑩ Posting or sending data containing software viruses or other computer codes, files, or programs designed to interfere with or destroy the normal operation of software, hardware, or telecommunications equipment
- ⑪ Stalking other members or disrupting their use of the service
- ⑫ Collecting, storing, or disclosing other members’ personal information without their consent
- ⑬ Posting advertisements or promotions to unspecified members or sending spam emails for profit purposes using the service provided by the Company
- ⑭ Altering, reverse engineering, decompiling, or disassembling software provided by the Company
- ⑮ Changing, manipulating, or obstructing the proper display of advertisements or information posted in the service
- ⑯ Making abnormal payments using methods not prescribed by the Company
- ⑰ Violating laws such as the Political Funds Act or the Anti-Corruption Act, engaging in illegal activities such as money laundering or illegal donations
- ⑱ Violating the terms or rules set forth for using the Company’s services
(2) If a member engages in any of the above acts, the Company may delete or take temporary action on the related content, restrict the member's use of the service, or unilaterally terminate this agreement.
(3) If any services provided by the Company require adult verification under relevant laws, members must provide real-name information to the Company as required to use those services.
Article 13 (Responsibility for Managing Member IDs)
(1) Members are responsible for managing their member ID and password for the service, and for any disadvantages caused by the unauthorized use of their ID due to their own intent or negligence. However, if the Company is responsible for such an occurrence, the Company will be held liable.
(2) If a member’s ID or password is stolen or used by a third party, the member must immediately take steps to change their password and notify the Company, following the Company's instructions.
Article 14 (Non-Transferability)
Members cannot transfer or give away their rights to receive services, nor use them as collateral.
Article 15 (Termination of Use Agreement)
(1) If a member wishes to terminate the use agreement, they can request withdrawal through the membership withdrawal function provided within the service. Unless unavoidable circumstances apply, the Company will process the withdrawal request immediately.
(2) If a member violates the provisions of Article 12, the Company may unilaterally terminate this agreement, and the member may be held civilly or criminally liable for any damages caused to the operation of the service.
(3) If a member has not logged into the service for one consecutive year, the Company will notify the member via email and will store the member’s personal information separately for up to four years. If the member does not log in during the separate storage period, their account will be deleted without further notice.
All content posted by the member will be deleted when this agreement is terminated, except as provided in Article 8, Paragraph 4.
Article 16 (Commercial Transactions on Bulletin Boards)
(1) Members engaged in commercial transactions (including sales and brokerage) using bulletin boards in the service must comply with the obligations of telecommunication sales or intermediary sales under the Consumer Protection Act in E-commerce (the "E-commerce Act").
(2) Members engaging in commercial transactions on bulletin boards must display their identity information required under the E-commerce Act using the input functions provided by the bulletin board service and must provide such information to the Company.
(3) In case of disputes between members and commercial transaction members, the Company may provide identity information confirmed under the preceding paragraph upon request to one of the following entities:
- ① Consumer Dispute Mediation Committee under the E-commerce Act
- ② Fair Trade Commission
- ③ City or provincial governors, or mayors, county heads, or district chiefs
(4) Members who have suffered damage from commercial transaction members may file a damage relief application with the Consumer Dispute Mediation Committee via the customer service page. The Company will process the application on their behalf.
Article 17 (Disclaimer)
(1) The Company will not be held responsible for any damage incurred by members in the following cases:
- ① If services cannot be provided due to natural disasters or other force majeure events
- ② If a third party intentionally disrupts the service provided by the Company
- ③ If the member is responsible for service interruptions
- ④ If the service is interrupted for reasons other than the Company’s intentional misconduct or negligence
(2) The Company does not guarantee the reliability or accuracy of information, data, or facts posted by third parties or created by members, and will not be held liable for damages incurred by members as a result.
Article 18 (Resolution of Disputes)
These Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of Korea, and any disputes between the Company and the members regarding the use of the service will be subject to the jurisdiction of the court at the member's legal address under the Civil Procedure Act.
Article 19 (Application of Regulations)
Any matters not specified in these Terms will be governed by relevant laws, and where not specified by law, customary practices will apply.
Addendum (December 15, 2023)
These Terms will take effect on December 15, 2023, and replace the previous terms that were applied from October 17, 2023.
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