K-Occult

Terms of Service

Last Updated: December 26, 2025

1. Agreement to Terms

By accessing or using K-Occult ("the Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you disagree with any part of these terms, you may not access the Service. These Terms apply to all visitors, users, and others who access or use the Service.

2. Description of Service

K-Occult is a digital archive and community platform dedicated to Korean folklore, myths, creatures (yokai/gwishin), mysteries, and folk practices. Our mission is to preserve and share the dark, mystical aspects of Korean history and folklore with a global audience. We provide:

  • Content Archive: Detailed entries on Creatures, Myths, Mysteries, and Folk Practices, each with source verification, cross-references, and interactive features.
  • Community Features: Discussion boards, content requests, reporting system, and user interaction through comments and voting.
  • Interactive Tools: Folklore map, related content graph, advanced search and filtering, and atmosphere mode toggle.
  • User Ranking System: Mapae (마패) ranking tiers (Bronze, Silver, Gold) based on contributions and activity.

3. User Accounts

To access certain features of the Service, you may be required to create an account. You agree to:

  • Provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration.
  • Maintain the security of your password and account.
  • Notify us immediately of any unauthorized use of your account.
  • Accept responsibility for all activities that occur under your account.

4. Community Guidelines & User Conduct

We strive to maintain a respectful, informative, and scholarly community dedicated to preserving Korean folklore. You agree NOT to:

  • Post content that is unlawful, threatening, abusive, harassing, defamatory, hateful, or discriminatory.
  • Distribute spam, malware, or any other harmful code or links.
  • Impersonate any person or entity, including K-Occult staff, administrators, or falsely state your affiliation.
  • Engage in misleading roleplaying that pretends to be official responses or verified historical facts without proper source attribution.
  • Post fabricated or unverifiable content as factual information. All content must be based on documented sources (see Section 5).
  • Engage in any activity that interferes with or disrupts the Service, including but not limited to automated scraping, DDoS attacks, or exploitation of vulnerabilities.
  • Post content without proper source attribution where required. Content requests and discussions must include verifiable sources.
  • Violate copyright or intellectual property rights of others. When posting content, ensure you have the right to share it.
  • Manipulate the ranking system (Mapae) through artificial means such as fake accounts, automated posting, or coordinated voting.

We reserve the right to remove any content, suspend or terminate accounts, and revoke Mapae rankings for violations of these guidelines. Repeated violations may result in permanent account termination.

5. Content Guidelines & Source Verification

K-Occult is an archive, not a creative platform. All content must be based on verifiable sources:

  • Source Attribution Required: Content requests, discussion posts, and contributions must include verifiable sources (academic texts, documented folklore, historical records, etc.).
  • No Fabricated Content: Original creative works, fictional stories, or invented folklore cannot be registered as factual entries.
  • Verification Standards: All archive entries undergo source verification. Content without verifiable sources will be rejected.
  • Cultural Respect: Content must respect the cultural origins and significance of Korean folklore and traditions.

For detailed content guidelines, please refer to our About page and community boards.

6. Intellectual Property

A. Service Content

The Service and its original content (excluding user-generated content), features, and functionality are and will remain the exclusive property of K-Occult and its licensors. The Service is protected by copyright, trademark, and other laws. Traditional Korean patterns used on this site are sourced from the Korean Culture & Information Service (문화포털) and are public cultural assets (OGL Type 1).

B. User-Generated Content

By posting content to the Service (including posts, comments, and contributions), you grant us a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, irrevocable, sub-licensable license to use, reproduce, adapt, publish, translate, and distribute it in any and all media. You retain ownership of your content but grant us these rights to operate and promote the Service. You represent that you have the right to grant this license and that your content does not infringe upon the rights of any third party.

C. Folklore Information

Facts about Korean folklore (names, origins, weaknesses, historical context) are not copyrightable. You are free to use the information found in our archive to build your own stories, games, and art. However, our original descriptions, translations, and curated content are protected by copyright.

7. Account Termination & Deletion

You may delete your account at any time through your profile settings. Upon account deletion:

  • Your account will be soft-deleted and scheduled for permanent deletion after 30 days.
  • Your username and email will be removed from public display.
  • Your posts and comments may remain visible if they are part of public discussions, unless you request specific deletion.
  • Your Mapae ranking and contribution scores will be reset.
  • We reserve the right to retain certain information as required by law or for security purposes.

We may suspend or terminate your account immediately if you violate these Terms, engage in fraudulent activity, or pose a security risk to the Service or other users.

8. Disclaimer

The materials on K-Occult are provided on an 'as is' basis. While we strive for accuracy, especially regarding historical and folklore records, we make no warranties, expressed or implied, regarding the accuracy, completeness, likely results, or reliability of the use of the materials on our website. The content is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered as professional historical, anthropological, or academic advice.

AI-Generated Content: Some content entries may be drafted using AI tools (Google Gemini) and reviewed by administrators. While we verify sources and review all content before publication, users should exercise critical judgment and refer to original sources when conducting serious research.

9. Limitation of Liability

In no event shall K-Occult, its directors, employees, partners, agents, suppliers, or affiliates, be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including without limitation, loss of profits, data, use, goodwill, or other intangible losses, resulting from your access to or use of or inability to access or use the Service, even if we have been advised of the possibility of such damages.

Our total liability to you for all claims arising from or related to the Service shall not exceed the amount you paid us, if any, in the 12 months preceding the claim, or $100 USD, whichever is greater.

10. Governing Law & Dispute Resolution

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Korea, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. Any disputes arising from or relating to these Terms or the Service shall be resolved through good faith negotiation. If negotiation fails, disputes shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the Republic of Korea.

11. Changes to Terms

We reserve the right, at our sole discretion, to modify or replace these Terms at any time. If a revision is material, we will try to provide at least 30 days' notice prior to any new terms taking effect by:

  • Posting the updated Terms on this page with an updated "Last Updated" date
  • Sending an email notification to registered users
  • Displaying a notice on our website

Your continued use of the Service after any changes constitutes acceptance of the new Terms. If you do not agree to the new Terms, you must stop using the Service and may delete your account.

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions about these Terms of Service, please contact us at:

support@koccult.com

For content requests, copyright concerns, or community-related inquiries, you may also use our community boards (Request board, Report board) available on the Service.