DBpia

The definitions of terms used in these Terms are as follows:

These Terms shall be effective for all members who wish to use the Service.

These Terms shall be made available for members to review at the time of registration. The Company shall post the Terms on its website or app at all times so that members may review them at any time.

The Company may amend these Terms within the scope permitted by applicable laws including the Act on the Regulation of Terms and Conditions, the Act on Consumer Protection in Electronic Commerce, the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection (hereinafter 'Information and Communications Network Act'), the Framework Act on Consumers, and the Framework Act on Electronic Documents and Electronic Transactions.

If the Company amends these Terms, it shall announce the effective date and reasons for the change at least 7 days prior to the effective date. However, if the amendment is disadvantageous to members, the Company shall notify members at least 30 days in advance and provide individual notice via email or similar means. If individual notice is not possible due to missing or outdated contact information, the general announcement shall be deemed individual notice.

If the Company announces or notifies members of an amendment and states that failure to express objection before the effective date shall be deemed consent, and if a member does not explicitly express objection, the member shall be deemed to have consented to the amendment.

Members who do not agree to the amended Terms may discontinue use of the Service and terminate their Service Agreement.

Members are obligated to stay informed of any changes to the Terms; the Company shall not be liable for any damages to members resulting from their failure to be aware of amended Terms.

The Company may establish separate terms and policies for individual services. In the event of a conflict between such terms and these Terms, the terms of the individual service shall prevail.

Matters not specified in these Terms shall be governed by applicable laws and regulations.

The Service Agreement is formed when a prospective user (hereinafter 'User') agrees to these Terms, submits a membership application by entering information in the prescribed form, and the Company approves the application.

A person wishing to become a member must provide personal information (User ID, password, name, email address, mobile number, etc.) as required by the Company. Users wishing to become SNS Members must provide certain personal information (name, email address) registered with their SNS account. After entering into the Service Agreement, users may provide additional information (e.g., academic background, career history, authored papers) as required by the specific service.

Personal information provided by users shall be strictly protected in accordance with applicable laws and the Company's Privacy Policy. However, the Company's Privacy Policy does not apply to linked sites other than the Company's official site.

To provide accurate information to users, the Site may automatically collect author information. Since it may not be easy to separately discard information provided by Author Members from automatically collected information, some of their information (such as affiliated institution) may remain visible after membership withdrawal.

Information provided by users is deemed to be accurate. Members who enter false information shall not be entitled to legal protection. All members must provide their own accurate information to use the Service. Members who register false or others' information shall not be entitled to any rights in connection with the Service and may be subject to penalty under applicable laws.

The Company shall approve service applications where all required information is accurately provided. However, the Company may restrict or refuse applications in the following cases:

The Service shall in principle be available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, unless there are particular operational or technical difficulties.

Certain services provided by the Company are accessible only to registered members using a Company-approved User ID and password.

Members may submit purchase applications on the Site through the following procedures:

Non-members are not permitted to submit purchase applications. Registered members who are not logged in are also restricted from submitting purchase applications.

Subscribing Paid Members may begin using the selected service upon confirming final purchase intent and completing payment. If the Company is unable to provide the Service due to technical or other reasons, it shall promptly notify the affected members via email, notice, or other means.

If a member confirms their final purchase intent, the Company shall notify the member of the application details via KakaoTalk, email, phone, text message, or other means. Upon receipt of such notice, if the member discovers any discrepancy with their stated purchase intent, they must immediately contact customer service to confirm whether correction or modification is possible.

The Company may offer members subscription-based paid service plans that include a discounted period. In such cases, the Company must clearly explain the applicable discount and ensure the member is sufficiently informed of the discounted pricing.

If a member cancels recurring subscription charges during the service period, they may continue using the Service until the end of the current subscription term. If a refund is processed in accordance with the termination provisions along with cancellation of recurring charges, use of the Service shall cease from the time of refund. Details are subject to the product page guidelines.

The Company provides the following subscription-based paid services, and may add or modify services depending on business circumstances:

If a Paid Member accesses the Service via a wired or wireless network or through an application on a device connected to a wired or wireless network, data charges will be billed according to the member's mobile carrier contract. The Company bears no responsibility for any such data charges.

Content usage may be restricted or modified pursuant to subsequent requests based on contracts with individuals, organizations, or corporations that hold rights to the content. Additionally, the Company may change or restrict the types of devices and the number of devices per member that support the subscription-based paid service as it deems necessary.

The Company may change its service fees and subscription plans, and shall notify members of any changes via KakaoTalk, email, public notice, or other means. Members who do not agree to such changes may request cancellation of their subscription in accordance with Article 18.

The Company may apply different pricing depending on the payment method, and may offer special promotional plans or plans bundled with third-party products and services.

Subscription-based paid service subscribers may not use DBpia Money when purchasing individual articles.

Subscription-based paid services are available only within the Republic of Korea.

The Company shall approve purchase applications as described in Articles 8 and 9, except in the following cases:

The purchase agreement is deemed formed at the time the Company grants approval.

Payments for goods or services purchased from the Company may be made by one of the following methods. Payment methods available may vary depending on the goods or services purchased.

Members shall bear full responsibility for any information entered in connection with payment and for any resulting liabilities or disadvantages.

The Company shall send a confirmation notice to users upon receipt of a purchase application.

If payment in accordance with Article 11 is not confirmed within 7 days from the date of the purchase application, the Company may cancel the purchase agreement without further notice.

If a user requests modification or cancellation of a purchase application before downloading, the Company shall process the request without delay.

The Company shall specify the download method and period for purchased content. If a download fails due to the Company's intentional act or negligence, all liability rests with the Company.

Due to the nature of digital content, it is not possible to confirm usage or recover files; therefore, cancellations and refunds are not available.

Even after downloading content, the Company shall process a cancellation or refund within 3 business days of receiving the refund request in the following cases, provided the request is made within 20 days from the date of download:

All refunds are for the actual amount paid, excluding the portion paid with DBpia Money. Amounts paid using DBpia Money shall be refunded as DBpia Money.

'DBpia Money' refers to an online payment method charged by paying cash to the Company via credit card, mobile phone, real-time bank transfer, or other Company-designated payment methods.

DBpia Money can only be charged in units designated by the Company using the specified payment methods, and there may be limits depending on the payment method.

DBpia Money is immediately deducted at the time of using paid services or purchasing products from the Company.

Refunds for amounts paid with DBpia Money shall in principle be credited back to the member's DBpia Money balance.

If no paid services or purchases have been made after charging DBpia Money, a full refund may be requested within 10 days from the date of charging.

In the case described in Paragraph 5, when a user requests membership withdrawal or submits a refund request form, the Company shall process the refund using the same payment method; however, any applicable fees shall be borne by the user. The Company shall not charge any additional cancellation fee in such cases.

DBpia Money charged by members and free points granted to members shall expire on whichever of the following dates applies:

This Service may include services or content provided by third parties other than Nurimedia.

Affiliated services are provided by affiliated companies, which bear full responsibility for those services.

The terms and conditions set by the affiliated company shall apply to affiliated services.

Use of affiliated services is at the member's discretion, and members have the right not to use affiliated services.

For contracts arising from content provided by affiliated companies, members shall transact directly with the affiliated company. Affiliated companies may decline to enter into service agreements with members at their discretion, and where applicable, fees shall be paid directly to the affiliated company.

Affiliated services may be changed without prior notice due to contractual issues between Nurimedia and affiliated companies, or system issues.

Since affiliated services are provided directly by affiliated companies to members, the Company is not obligated to provide previous affiliated services if an affiliated service is modified, terminated, or cancelled.

Affiliated services are provided under a separate agreement between the affiliated company and the member, and the Company bears no responsibility for any issues arising therefrom.

Termination and refunds for affiliated services shall be processed between the affiliated company and the member based on their contract.

A Subscribing Paid Member may not change to a different type of service during the current service period; changes may only be made after the current service period expires.

A Subscribing Paid Member may not change their payment method during the current service period; changes may only be made after the current service period expires.

A Subscribing Paid Member may withdraw their service use intent or terminate the service through a method approved by the Company (e.g., via the website). The withdrawal/termination shall take effect when the Company receives the member's notice. The Company shall promptly verify whether the applicable conditions are met upon receipt of the member's request and respond to the member accordingly.

If a Subscribing Paid Member fails to pay remaining service fees during the service term, the purchase agreement may be automatically terminated on the date of default.

If a Subscribing Paid Member withdraws from membership during the service term, all membership rights under these Terms shall be permanently extinguished and cannot be restored, and the member may not claim a refund for the remaining service period.

Unless the Company is at fault, a Subscribing Paid Member may cancel or terminate the purchase agreement within 7 days from the billing date only if there is no usage history (e.g., article viewing or discounted download). In such cases, the Company may deduct payment processing fees and other incidental costs before issuing a refund.

Annual subscriptions are eligible for partial refunds. A partial refund means that if a refund is requested more than 7 days after the billing date, a refund is provided for the remaining months after deducting the months already used. However, partial refunds are only available when the remaining period until the next billing date is less than 10 months. The partial refund policy follows the refund schedule table below. Months are calculated from the billing date to the same date in the following billing cycle.

For annual subscriptions, partial refunds are calculated based on the refund table, deducting a 25% discount applied to the usage period and a 10% cancellation fee. If additional promotional discounts were applied, the refund amount may differ from the refund table; the promotional discount amount will be additionally deducted from the 25% discount and 10% cancellation fee.

When issuing a refund pursuant to Paragraph 4, the Company shall in principle request the cessation or cancellation of charges from the respective payment provider within 3 business days of receiving the member's notice, and shall refund using the same payment method originally used. However, if the Company has notified the member in advance via phone, email, text, or website notice, there may be differences in the refund method and timeframe per payment method. Refunds may also be restricted or delayed in the following circumstances:

Once the Company completes the refund process pursuant to Paragraph 5, the Subscribing Paid Member's access rights to the subscription-based paid service shall be extinguished regardless of whether the refund has been deposited into the member's account.

If an erroneous charge occurs in connection with subscription-based paid service payments, the Company shall refund the full amount using the same payment method. If refund via the same method is not possible, the Company shall notify the paid member and proceed with a refund through an alternative method.

If an erroneous charge occurs due to the Company's fault, the full amount shall be refunded. If the erroneous charge is due to the member's fault, the user shall bear any costs incurred in processing the refund, and the Company may deduct such costs from the refund.

If the Company refuses to refund an amount claimed by a member as an erroneous charge, the Company bears the burden of proving that the charge was legitimately assessed.

The Company shall in principle provide subscription-based paid services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and shall ensure that members may begin using the service immediately upon entering into a service agreement, unless there are special circumstances.

The Company shall compensate members for damages caused by service interruptions attributable to the Company (other than those described in Article 23, Paragraph 3) as follows. Force majeure events (e.g., natural disasters) are excluded from accumulated downtime calculations. Compensation shall only be processed after the Company becomes aware of the interruption and upon user request. Compensation is limited to the most recent payment amount for the service in use.

The Company may modify, suspend, or discontinue part or all of its free services for policy or operational reasons. No separate compensation shall be provided unless otherwise required by applicable law.

Members may submit complaints regarding personal information processing through service features and email.

Members who wish to terminate their Service Agreement must personally submit a membership withdrawal request through the channels provided by the Company.

The Company may terminate the Service Agreement or suspend service for a specified period without prior notice if a member engages in any of the following acts. The Company shall bear no liability in such cases:

For members who registered before January 12, 2023 only: If a member has not logged in to use the Company's services for one year, the Company may designate the account as dormant and restrict all membership activities for efficient membership management. However, if the member requests dormancy removal in accordance with the Company's procedures, or if the Company independently decides to reactivate the previous membership status, the member may resume use of the Service.

The Company shall make the service applied for by the member available barring special circumstances.

The Company shall endeavor to provide continuous and stable service as set forth in these Terms, and shall promptly repair and restore any service interruption.

In the event of natural disasters, national emergencies, maintenance, inspection, replacement or malfunction of telecommunications equipment, communication failure, fires caused by intentional acts or negligence of third parties, or other unavoidable circumstances, the service may be temporarily suspended or discontinued.

If the Company determines that a complaint or grievance raised by a member is legitimate, it shall take immediate action.

The Company shall not disclose or distribute members' personal information obtained through the provision of services to third parties without the member's consent. However, this shall not apply if required by government authorities under applicable laws such as the Framework Act on Telecommunications, for criminal investigation purposes, at the request of the Korea Communications Standards Commission, or in accordance with procedures set forth in applicable laws.

Members are fully responsible for managing their User ID and password.

Members may not transfer or give their User ID to others.

Members may not transfer, donate, or pledge as security any service usage rights or any other status under the Service Agreement to others.

If a member's User ID is used without authorization, the member must immediately notify the Company by email or other means.

Members must comply with these Terms and applicable laws and regulations.

The Company shall not be liable for damages suffered by members or third parties arising from the following reasons:

The Company may delete a member's post without prior notice if it determines that the post falls into any of the following categories:

The Company may temporarily restrict access to a member's public post in the following circumstances:

The Company retains all rights and responsibilities for posts created by the Company.

The Company cannot monitor or supervise content created by users and does not warrant the reliability, truthfulness, or accuracy of such content. The Company is also not responsible for transactions between users related to such content.

For purposes necessary for the operation, display, transmission, distribution, promotion, and advertising of the Service, the Company may use modified versions of a member's post without separate consent, or provide it to affiliated companies. In such cases, the user's personal information shall not be provided.

Posts by users may appear in search results, within the Service, or in related promotions and advertisements, and may be partially modified, reproduced, or edited for such purposes. In such cases, the Company shall comply with the Copyright Act and other applicable regulations, and users may at any time request deletion or set the post to private through the customer service center or service management functions.

Posts are not automatically deleted upon termination of the Service Agreement. Users must delete their posts directly through the service management functions before terminating the Service Agreement, or may request deletion through the customer service center at any time after termination. However, deletion from ongoing operations, displays, transmissions, distributions, promotions, or advertisements in which the post has already been used in accordance with Paragraphs 2 and 3 above is not possible.

The Company is not responsible if a post remains on a co-author's domain or is reproduced and reposted without authorization by a third party.

If the Company wishes to use a member's posts in ways other than those described in Paragraphs 3 and 4, it must obtain the member's consent via phone, fax, email, or other means.

Users shall bear sole civil and criminal liability for any infringement of the Company's or a third party's intellectual property rights (including copyrights) caused by the user's posts or works.

For members who have violated these Terms or applicable laws, the Company may retain the member's User ID and information even after membership withdrawal to the extent permitted by law, for the purpose of protecting other members and preserving evidence for use in response to requests from courts, investigative authorities, or relevant agencies.

Posts submitted to the 1:1 message board are not disclosed to other users. Such posts may only be accessed by the posting member and service operators. However, such posts may be accessed by the Company or others when required by a court, investigative authority, or other administrative agency, or as otherwise required by law.

Users may provide questions (inputs) to the Company's AI service and receive answers (outputs) accordingly. Questions and answers are collectively referred to as 'AI Content.' However, original files uploaded by users are not included in this definition.

Users are responsible for ensuring that their AI Content does not violate applicable laws or these Terms.

Users represent and warrant that they possess all rights, licenses, and permissions necessary to provide questions (inputs) to the Company's AI service.

All rights, including copyrights, in 'AI Content' shall vest in the user, who may use such content freely within the bounds of public policy and other principles of good social order.

Due to the nature of AI services, answers (outputs) to a user's questions (inputs) may not be unique, and other users may receive similar answers (outputs).

Due to the nature of AI services, AI Content may contain errors, omissions, or inaccurate information. The Company shall not be liable for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI Content unless there is intentional misconduct or gross negligence.

The Company may use users' AI Content for purposes of providing, maintaining, developing, and improving the AI service, complying with applicable laws, enforcing the Company's terms and policies, and ensuring the safety of the service. Users consent to such use.

The Company may review 'AI Content' to determine whether it complies with the Company's Terms of Service and operating policies, or violates applicable laws, orders, or rules such as 'AI Ethics Standards' established by relevant authorities. If the Company determines that the content is in violation, it may delete or refuse to post such 'AI Content.'

If a user is subject to deletion or posting refusal pursuant to Paragraph 1 on three or more occasions, the Company may delete all of the user's 'AI Content' or impose temporary or permanent restrictions on use.

The Company bears no liability to users in connection with the foregoing (including users who disclose, sell, directly use, or otherwise utilize or purchase the data for their own content production, without limitation).

The Company may monitor users' service use and data for the purpose of legal compliance and violation prevention (including detection and response to violations), and may store such data as necessary.

Users may upload files to use the AI Service, and such files shall be processed as input materials for the provision of the AI Service.

Files uploaded to the AI Service may only be used by the uploading user. The Company shall not provide or disclose such files to other users or third parties without the user's consent.

Responsibility for the copyright and use of files uploaded to the AI Service rests with the user. Users represent and warrant that they lawfully possess all rights, licenses, and permissions necessary to upload and use such files.

The Company may only process uploaded files to the extent necessary for providing the AI Service, and shall not acquire any copyright in such files.

The Company shall not use original files uploaded to the AI Service as training data or for purposes other than providing the Service. However, AI Content generated or derived from uploaded files may be retained or used solely for purposes of service operation, quality improvement, statistical analysis, and feature enhancement.

The Company may temporarily store, copy, and transmit uploaded files as necessary for providing the AI Service; such processing is limited to technical purposes.

If uploaded files contain personal information, third-party copyrighted works, or sensitive information, users must comply with applicable laws. Users bear full responsibility for any disputes arising therefrom.

The Company may transmit necessary information to members by email or postal mail in the following cases. Members who do not wish to receive such communications may opt out through the membership registration process or means provided by the Company.

The Company may send emails regardless of a member's opt-out status in the following cases:

These Terms shall be governed by the laws of the Republic of Korea.

Users agree that no joint venture, partnership, employment, or agency relationship exists between the user and the Company as a result of using the Company's site. The Company's performance of these Terms is subject to existing laws and legal processes. Nothing in these Terms shall limit the Company's right to comply with requests or requirements of government, court, or law enforcement authorities with respect to the use of information collected by or provided to the Company in connection with the Service or its use.

If any provision of this Agreement, including any disclaimer of liability, is found to be invalid or unenforceable under applicable law, the invalid or unenforceable provision shall be replaced by a valid and enforceable provision that best reflects the intent of the original provision, while the remaining provisions of the Agreement shall continue in full force and effect.

Copyright and other intellectual property rights in works created by the Company shall vest in the Company.

Users may not reproduce, transmit, publish, distribute, broadcast, or otherwise use information obtained through the Company's service for commercial purposes without prior consent from the Company, nor may they allow third parties to do so.

Unauthorized crawling or reproduction of the Company's content may result in civil and criminal liability under the Copyright Act, the Unfair Competition Prevention Act, and other applicable laws.

If a user raises a legitimate complaint or opinion, the Company may establish and operate a temporary damage compensation body.

The Company shall prioritize processing complaints and opinions submitted by users. If prompt handling is not feasible, the Company shall immediately notify the user of the reason and the expected processing schedule.

Litigation regarding electronic transaction disputes between the Company and users shall be brought before the competent court under the Civil Procedure Act. Prior to filing a lawsuit, parties may submit to mediation by the Electronic Document and Electronic Transaction Dispute Mediation Committee established under Article 32 of the Framework Act on Electronic Documents and Electronic Transactions and Article 19 of its Enforcement Decree.

Korean law shall apply to electronic transaction litigation between the Company and users.