Legal Notice
The website www.beneath-initiative.com (hereinafter the “Website”) is published by:
Beneath
The Website presents the activities of Beneath, which collects used paper cartons and other materials from cafés in Seoul, has them recycled through partner organisations, and returns recycled goods to households in the neighbourhoods they came from.
Through the Website, users can find information about Beneath’s collection routes, volunteer programme, collaborations and workshops, and contact Beneath directly.
2. Publication Director
The Publication Director is Hayoon Kim, in the capacity of Founder and President of Beneath.
3. Website Hosting
The Website is hosted by a third-party hosting provider. Details of the host can be provided on request at beneathsurface24@gmail.com.
4. Website Design and Development
The Website was designed and developed by Beneath.
5. Intellectual Property
The Website and its constituent elements, including texts, photographs, illustrations, graphics, logos, trademarks and other content, are protected by applicable intellectual property laws.
These elements are the property of Beneath or of their respective owners, or are used with their authorisation.
Any reproduction, representation, adaptation, modification, distribution or exploitation, in whole or in part, of any element of the Website without the prior authorisation of Beneath is prohibited, except where permitted by applicable law or by the Terms of Use.
6. Personal Data
The terms governing the collection and processing of users’ personal data are detailed in the Privacy Policy available on the Website.
For any questions relating to personal data: beneathsurface24@gmail.com
7. Cookies and Other Trackers
The Website does not use advertising or analytics cookies or other tracking technologies.
Information relating to the limited technologies used to operate the Website is detailed in the Cookie Policy available on the Website.
8. Hyperlinks
The Website may contain links to websites or services operated by third parties, including Instagram.
Beneath has no control over these websites and cannot be held responsible for their content, availability, practices or privacy policies.
9. Activities Presented on the Website
The Website does not sell products or services and does not accept payments or donations.
Participation in the volunteer programme, collaborations and workshops presented on the Website is arranged directly with Beneath by email. The terms applicable to each activity are set out in the Terms of Use and, where applicable, in any terms agreed in writing for that activity.
10. Information Published on the Website
Beneath endeavours to provide accurate and regularly updated information. Collection figures are drawn from Beneath’s own route records, and figures from other organisations are credited to their source.
However, the information published on the Website is provided for informational purposes and may be modified or updated without prior notice.
Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy describes how personal data is collected and processed in connection with the use of the website www.beneath-initiative.com (the “Website”) and the activities presented on it.
Beneath undertakes to process personal data in accordance with the Personal Information Protection Act of the Republic of Korea (“PIPA”) and other applicable data protection laws.
1. Data Controller
The data controller is:
Beneath
Beneath is responsible for processing relating to:
- enquiries sent by email or through the contact form;
- the volunteer programme and its collection routes;
- collaborations and workshops;
- photographs taken during its activities;
- the operation and security of the Website.
2. Data Collected
2.1 When you visit the Website
The Website does not require you to provide any personal data. It does not use advertising or analytics cookies, tracking pixels or other tracking technologies, and all files needed to display it are served from its own domain.
When the Website is accessed, our hosting provider automatically processes technical data such as IP address, date and time of access, pages requested, browser type, operating system and referring page. This data is used solely to deliver the Website and protect it against abuse.
2.2 When you contact us
The contact form does not transmit data to Beneath. It opens your own email application with a pre-filled message, which reaches us only if you choose to send it. When you write to us, we receive the data you choose to include, such as:
- name;
- email address;
- subject of the enquiry;
- content of the message and any attachments.
2.3 When you volunteer
For volunteers, we may collect the data reasonably necessary to organise activities safely, such as name, contact details, assigned route, availability and, where appropriate, an emergency contact.
2.4 Photographs
Photographs may be taken during collection routes, at partner cafés and at workshops, and published on the Website and on our Instagram account to document our activities.
2.5 Data we do not collect
We do not collect resident registration numbers, payment information or other sensitive data within the meaning of PIPA.
3. Purposes of Processing
Personal data is processed for the following purposes:
- responding to enquiries;
- organising the volunteer programme, collaborations and workshops;
- keeping records of our activities, such as collection totals;
- documenting our activities through photographs;
- ensuring the security and proper operation of the Website;
- complying with legal obligations.
Personal data is not used for any other purpose without prior consent, and is not subject to automated decision-making or profiling.
4. Legal Basis
Personal data is processed on the basis of the consent given when you provide it voluntarily, where processing is necessary to carry out an activity you have requested, or where required to comply with a legal obligation, in accordance with PIPA.
5. Recipients and Processors
Personal data is never sold, rented or traded. It may be disclosed only to:
- the service providers that operate our email and host the Website, which process data only on our behalf and for those purposes;
- partner cafés or organisations, limited to the minimum necessary to carry out an activity you take part in;
- public authorities, where required by law.
6. Transfers Outside the Republic of Korea
The service providers described in Section 5 may store and process personal data on servers located outside the Republic of Korea. Such transfers take place electronically when you send us an email or visit the Website, solely for the purposes of operating our email and hosting the Website, and data is kept only for the retention periods set out in this Privacy Policy. Details of these transfers can be provided on request.
If you do not wish your data to be transferred, you may contact us through our Instagram account instead, or ask at beneathsurface24@gmail.com for another arrangement.
7. Retention Period
Personal data is kept only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected:
- Enquiries: for the duration of the exchange and a reasonable period afterwards;
- Volunteer data: for the duration of participation, after which it is destroyed or anonymised;
- Photographs: for as long as they document our activities, or until removal is requested.
When data is no longer needed, it is destroyed without delay: electronic files are permanently deleted, and paper records are shredded.
8. Children
Personal data of children under fourteen (14) is collected only with the consent of a parent or legal guardian, as required by PIPA. If such data is found to have been collected without consent, it is destroyed without delay.
9. Security
Access to personal data is limited to the members of Beneath who need it to carry out our activities. The Website is served exclusively over encrypted connections (HTTPS). In the event of a personal data breach, affected persons and the competent authorities will be notified as required by law.
10. Your Rights
In accordance with PIPA, you may at any time request access to, correction of, deletion of, or suspension of the processing of your personal data, and withdraw your consent.
Requests can be sent to beneathsurface24@gmail.com, directly or through an authorised representative. Proof of identity may be requested. We respond within ten (10) days of receipt.
11. Privacy Officer
Beneath has designated a Privacy Officer responsible for the protection of personal data and for handling related requests and complaints:
12. Remedies
To report an infringement of your rights or request assistance, you may contact:
- Personal Information Infringement Report Center (KISA): privacy.kisa.or.kr, tel. 118
- Personal Information Dispute Mediation Committee: kopico.go.kr, tel. 1833-6972
- Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, Cybercrime Investigation Division: spo.go.kr, tel. 1301
- Korean National Police Agency, Cyber Bureau: ecrm.police.go.kr, tel. 182
13. Changes
This Privacy Policy may be updated to reflect changes in our activities or in applicable law. The date of the latest update is shown below.
Last updated: 8 November 2026
Terms of Use
These Terms of Use (the “Terms”) govern access to and use of the website www.beneath-initiative.com (the “Website”), published by Beneath.
By accessing or using the Website, you accept these Terms without reservation. If you do not accept them, please do not use the Website.
1. Purpose of the Website
The Website presents the activities of Beneath, including its carton collection routes, volunteer programme, collaborations and workshops. It does not sell products or services and does not accept payments or donations.
2. Access to the Website
The Website is freely accessible to any user with internet access. Beneath endeavours to keep it available at all times but may suspend, modify or interrupt access, in whole or in part, without notice, in particular for maintenance or updates. Beneath cannot be held responsible for any unavailability of the Website.
3. Use of the Website
Users agree to use the Website in accordance with applicable laws and these Terms. In particular, users agree not to:
- use the Website for any unlawful purpose;
- attempt to gain unauthorised access to the Website or its hosting infrastructure;
- interfere with the security or operation of the Website, including by introducing malicious code;
- copy the Website by automated means, other than standard search engine indexing;
- present themselves as acting on behalf of Beneath, or suggest that Beneath endorses them, without prior written consent;
- use contact details published on the Website to send unsolicited commercial messages.
4. Intellectual Property
All content on the Website, including texts, photographs, graphics and logos, is the property of Beneath or of its respective owners and is protected by intellectual property laws.
Content may be shared for non-commercial purposes, such as educational projects, news reporting or social media posts about our activities, provided that Beneath is credited, a link to the Website is included where possible, and the content is not altered in a way that misrepresents Beneath. Any other use, including any use of the Beneath name or logo, requires prior written authorisation.
5. Images of Individuals
Photographs in which individuals can be identified may not be reused without prior authorisation. Any person who appears in a photograph on the Website may request its removal at beneathsurface24@gmail.com.
6. Information Published
Collection figures are drawn from Beneath’s own route records and are updated periodically; minor differences may appear between updates. Data from other organisations is credited to its source. Information on the Website is provided for general purposes only and does not constitute professional advice.
7. Volunteer Programme
Participation in the volunteer programme is arranged by email. Volunteers agree to:
- follow the instructions of the route coordinator, in particular regarding safety;
- behave respectfully towards café staff, the public and other volunteers;
- handle collected materials only as instructed;
- inform Beneath in advance if unable to attend a scheduled route.
Participants under fourteen (14) require the prior consent of a parent or legal guardian. Volunteer activities take place on public streets and involve handling collected materials; participants take part at their own risk to the extent permitted by law.
8. Collaborations and Workshops
Collaborations and workshops are governed by the terms agreed in writing between Beneath and the relevant partner. Those terms prevail over these Terms for the activity concerned.
9. Messages and Submissions
Messages, ideas or proposals sent to Beneath are provided voluntarily and do not create any confidentiality or contractual obligation unless agreed in writing. Please do not send confidential information without prior agreement.
10. Hyperlinks
The Website contains links to third-party websites, including Instagram. Beneath has no control over these websites and is not responsible for their content, availability or practices.
11. Liability
The Website is provided “as is” and “as available”. To the extent permitted by law, Beneath makes no warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of its content and shall not be liable for any indirect or consequential damage arising from the use of, or inability to use, the Website.
Nothing in these Terms limits any liability that cannot be limited under the laws of the Republic of Korea, including liability arising from intentional misconduct or gross negligence.
12. Personal Data
The processing of personal data in connection with the Website is described in the Privacy Policy.
13. Changes to the Terms
Beneath may amend these Terms at any time. The applicable version is the one published on the Website at the time of use.
14. Governing Law and Jurisdiction
These Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of Korea.
In the event of a dispute, users are invited to contact Beneath first at beneathsurface24@gmail.com to seek an amicable solution. Failing this, the dispute shall be submitted to the Seoul Central District Court as the court of first instance, except where otherwise required by law.
Last updated: 8 November 2026
Cookie Policy
This Cookie Policy explains which cookies and similar technologies are used on the website www.beneath-initiative.com (the “Website”), for what purposes they are used and how you can manage them.
The Website does not use advertising cookies, analytics cookies or any other tracking technologies. No cookie is placed on your device when you browse the Website under normal conditions.
Session Storage
The Website uses your browser’s session storage for a single, strictly necessary purpose.
Pop-up preference
When you close the small card displayed in the corner of some pages, this preference is stored so the card is not displayed again during your visit. It is stored only on your device and is never transmitted to Beneath or to any third party. Duration: until the browser tab is closed.
Security Cookies
Our hosting provider may place a strictly necessary security cookie when it detects unusual traffic, in order to distinguish legitimate visitors from automated bots and protect the Website against attacks. These cookies do not identify you and are not used for advertising or analytics. Duration: a short period.
Third-Party Content
The Website does not embed third-party content, such as videos, maps, social media widgets or fonts from external servers. When you follow a link to another website, such as Instagram, that website may place its own cookies in accordance with its own policy.
Consent
As the Website only uses strictly necessary technologies, it does not display a consent banner. If optional cookies are introduced in the future, they will only be used with your prior consent, and this policy will be updated accordingly.
Managing Cookies and Storage
You can delete cookies and session storage, or block them, at any time through your browser settings. Blocking them does not prevent you from using the Website.
Last updated: 8 November 2026