Privacy Policy

KickstartKorean ("we", "us", or "our") operates kickstartkorean.com. This page explains what personal information we collect, how we use it, and your rights regarding your data.

1. Information We Collect

We collect personal information only when you voluntarily provide it:

• Contact form: your name and email address
• Free trial application: your name, email address, Korean level, and learning goals
• Lesson booking: your name, email address, and any information you provide when creating an account or booking a lesson on the platform
• Analytics: anonymised usage data via Google Analytics 4 (pages visited, time on site, general location, device type)
• Homework portal: your name, email address, and any files (photos, PDFs) you upload as homework through the Student Homework Portal

2. How We Use Your Information

• To respond to your enquiries and messages
• To manage your account and confirm lesson bookings on the platform
• To notify you when the video course launches (if you joined the waitlist)
• To understand how visitors use the site and improve it (analytics)
• To receive, review, and return graded homework to enrolled students via the Homework Portal

We do not sell, rent, or share your personal data with third parties for marketing purposes.

3. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services to operate this site. Each has its own privacy policy:

• Google LLC (Firebase): student account authentication, data storage, and hosting
• Google LLC (Analytics): anonymised site analytics
• Google LLC (reCAPTCHA): bot prevention and security
• Google LLC (Cloud TTS): text-to-speech for vocabulary and grammar audio
• PayPal Holdings, Inc.: payment processing for lesson credits and course purchases
• Resend Inc.: transactional email delivery (booking confirmations, verification emails)
• Microsoft Corporation (Azure Speech): pronunciation evaluation for speaking practice
• Microsoft Corporation (OneNote): homework synchronisation between tutor and student
• Anthropic PBC (Claude): AI conversation practice and grammar evaluation
• Zoom: video lessons are conducted over Zoom
• Formspree: processes contact form submissions

When you use our AI-powered features (conversation practice, pronunciation assessment, grammar quizzes), we collect and process conversation logs, voice recordings, and quiz scores to provide the service and improve your learning experience. This data is stored in Firebase and may be transmitted to the third-party AI providers listed above for processing.

4. Data Retention

We retain your contact and booking information for as long as necessary to provide our services and communicate with you. You may request deletion of your data at any time by emailing kickstartkorean@gmail.com.

5. Cookies

This site uses cookies via Google Analytics to collect anonymised usage data. No personal identifiers are stored in cookies. You can disable cookies in your browser settings at any time.

6. Your Rights (GDPR / UK GDPR)

If you are located in the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom, you have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you
• Request correction or deletion of your data
• Object to or restrict how we process your data
• Lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority

To exercise any of these rights, email kickstartkorean@gmail.com.

7. Children's Privacy

Our services are intended for individuals aged 14 and over, in accordance with the Korean Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA). We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 14. For users located in the European Economic Area, the minimum age is 16 under the GDPR. If you believe a child under the applicable age threshold has submitted information to us, please contact us immediately.

8. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The "last updated" date at the top of this page will reflect any changes. Continued use of the site after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

9. 개인정보 보호법 (Korean Personal Information Protection Act, PIPA) 관련 고지

9-1. 개인정보 보호책임자

성명: 신규훈
직위: 대표
이메일: kickstartkorean@gmail.com
전화: 070-7954-9107

9-2. 개인정보 처리 위탁

당사는 서비스 제공을 위해 다음 업체에 개인정보 처리를 위탁하고 있습니다:

• Google LLC (Firebase): 회원 인증, 데이터 저장, 호스팅 (미국)
• Google LLC (Analytics): 웹사이트 이용 분석 (미국)
• PayPal Holdings, Inc.: 결제 처리 (미국/싱가포르)
• Google LLC (reCAPTCHA): 봇 방지 및 보안 (미국)
• Microsoft Corporation (Azure Speech): 발음 평가 (한국/미국)
• Anthropic PBC (Claude): AI 문법 평가 (미국)
• Resend Inc.: 이메일 발송 (미국)

9-3. 개인정보의 국외 이전

상기 위탁 업체는 대부분 미국에 소재하며, 이용자의 개인정보(이메일, 이름, 학습 데이터)가 해당 국가로 이전될 수 있습니다. 각 업체는 자체 개인정보 보호 정책에 따라 데이터를 보호하며, 당사는 이전 시 적절한 보호 조치를 취하고 있습니다.

9-4. 개인정보 파기 절차 및 방법

이용자의 개인정보는 수집 목적이 달성된 후 지체 없이 파기합니다.

• 전자적 파일: 복구할 수 없는 방법으로 영구 삭제
• 보유 기간: 회원 탈퇴 시 즉시 삭제. 단, 전자상거래법에 따라 결제 기록은 5년간 보관

9-5. 이용자의 권리

이용자는 언제든지 자신의 개인정보에 대해 열람, 정정, 삭제, 처리정지를 요청할 수 있습니다. 요청은 kickstartkorean@gmail.com으로 보내주시면 10일 이내에 처리합니다.

9-6. 개인정보 관련 신고 및 분쟁 해결

개인정보 침해에 대한 신고나 상담이 필요한 경우 아래 기관에 문의하실 수 있습니다:

• 개인정보 침해신고센터 (privacy.kisa.or.kr, 국번없이 118)
• 개인정보 분쟁조정위원회 (kopico.go.kr, 1833-6972)

10. Contact

For any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact:
KickstartKorean (킥스타트코리안)
대표: 신규훈
kickstartkorean@gmail.com
전화: 070-7954-9107