Terms of Use

These Terms of Use set forth the rights, obligations, and responsibilities of the Korea Institute of Human Resources Development in Science and Technology (hereinafter referred to as the “Institute” or “KIRD”) and users, as well as other necessary matters relating to the use of the Integrated Support Platform for Foreign Research Personnel in Science and Technology (brand name: KoLab; hereinafter referred to as the “Platform”), operated by the Institute.

• ① The terms used in these Terms of Use are defined as follows:
  • “Platform” means the web-based integrated support service operated by the Institute to support foreign research personnel in settling into life in Korea and developing their careers.
  • “User” means a member or non-member who accesses the Platform and uses the services it provides.
  • “Member” means a person who agrees to these Terms of Use and completes the membership registration procedure prescribed by the Platform.
  • “Services” means information on daily life, consulting (counseling), participation in research and development, education and learning, career and recruitment information, community services, interest groups, support information, and other related services provided through the Platform.
  • “Posts” means posts, comments, replies to comments, images, files, videos, and equivalent information created or uploaded by members to the Platform.
  • “Consulting” (hereinafter referred to as “counseling”) means counseling services provided by the Platform to support members in their daily lives in Korea, research activities, and career development.
  • “Consultant” means a person designated or appointed by the Institute to provide counseling services.
  • “Open Lounge” means a public community space open to all members.
  • “Interest Group” means a group organized around a particular topic that members create or join. The “Interest Group Leader” means a member who creates the group or manages it under authority granted by the Institute.
• ② Matters not specified in these Terms of Use, and the interpretation of these Terms of Use, shall be governed by applicable laws and regulations and generally accepted practices.

• ① The Institute shall publish these Terms of Use on the Platform so that members can easily review their contents.
• ② The Institute may amend these Terms of Use as necessary, provided that such amendments do not violate applicable laws and regulations.
• ③ If the Institute amends these Terms of Use, it shall announce the amendments on the Platform, specifying the revised provisions, effective date, and reasons for the amendments, at least seven days before the effective date. However, if an amendment is disadvantageous to members, the Institute shall announce it at least 30 days before the effective date and notify members individually through the contact details they have provided. If urgent circumstances make advance notice difficult, the Institute may announce the amendment without delay after it takes effect.
• ④ Members who do not agree to the amended Terms of Use may terminate their service agreement by withdrawing their membership or taking other appropriate action.
• ⑤ When amending these Terms of Use, the Institute shall publish a comparison of the previous and revised versions and maintain a record of previous versions.
• ⑥ If a member continues to use the Services without expressing an intention to reject the amendments before the effective date, after receiving the notice or notification referred to in Paragraph 3, the member shall be deemed to have agreed to the amended Terms of Use.

• ① Membership registration is completed when a user agrees to these Terms of Use, separately consents to the provisions concerning the collection and use of personal information, and completes the membership registration procedure prescribed by the Platform.
• ② Once registration is complete, the user immediately acquires member status without any separate approval procedure and may use member-only services provided by the Platform.
• ③ When registering as a member, users must accurately provide the required information requested by the Platform. Users may register and use the Platform’s basic services without providing optional information. However, access to certain personalized services or notifications that rely on such information may be restricted.
• ④ During membership registration and use of the Services, the Platform may verify users’ identities by email verification or other methods prescribed by the Platform, including integrated government authentication services.
• ⑤ The Institute may restrict membership registration or suspend or revoke membership status in any of the following cases:
  • Using another person’s information or misappropriating another person’s identity
  • Providing false or inaccurate information
  • Failing to provide required membership information
  • Registering for membership or using the Services for improper purposes
  • Violating applicable laws and regulations or these Terms of Use
  • Engaging in conduct that is likely to seriously disrupt the normal operation of the Platform
  • Other cases where such action is necessary for the operation of the Services
• ⑥ Only persons aged 14 or older may register as members. If it is confirmed that a person under the age of 14 has registered without the consent of their legal representative, the Institute shall delete the account and destroy the personal information collected without delay.

• ① Members may view and modify their membership information through the member information management functions provided by the Platform.
• ② Members must update their membership information without delay whenever it changes.
• ③ The Institute shall not be liable for any disadvantages arising from a member’s failure to maintain accurate membership information. However, this shall not apply where the Institute has acted intentionally or with gross negligence.

• ① Members are responsible for managing their own account information and must not provide it to others or allow others to use it.
• ② If a member becomes aware that their account information has been compromised or is being used unlawfully by a third party, the member must notify the Institute without delay.
• ③ The Institute may request that a member take necessary measures, such as changing their account information, where necessary to prevent unauthorized use of the account.
• ④ The Institute shall not be liable for any disadvantages arising from a member’s failure to fulfil the obligations set forth in this Article. However, this shall not apply where the Institute has acted intentionally or with gross negligence.

• ① The Institute shall endeavor to protect members’ personal information in accordance with the Personal Information Protection Act and other applicable laws and regulations.
• ② Specific matters concerning the processing of personal information, including its collection, use, storage, and destruction, and the rights and obligations of members, shall be governed by the Platform’s Privacy Policy.
• ③ Where necessary and in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, the Platform may process personal information into pseudonymized information for statistical compilation, scientific research, public-interest record preservation, and other such purposes.
• ④ Members may, at any time, request access to, correction or erasure of, or suspension of processing of their personal information, or withdraw their consent, through the [My Page → Edit Member Information / Withdraw Membership] menu on the Platform or by using the methods specified in the Privacy Policy.
• ⑤ The Platform may operate automatic personal information collection devices, such as cookies, to analyze usage patterns and improve its services. Details of their operation and methods for refusing their use shall be governed by the Privacy Policy.
• ⑥ Matters concerning the outsourcing of personal information processing and transfers of personal information outside Korea that are necessary for the operation of the Platform shall be governed by the information disclosed in the Privacy Policy.

• ① The Institute shall faithfully fulfil its obligations under applicable laws and regulations and these Terms of Use.
• ② The Institute shall implement the security measures necessary to provide stable services and endeavor to process members’ personal information securely.
• ③ Where the Institute considers a member’s opinion or complaint concerning the use of the Services to be justified, it shall endeavor to address it within a reasonable period.
• ④ Where necessary for the smooth operation of the Platform, the Institute may provide service-related guidance, notices, and other information through the Platform or via contact methods provided by members, such as email. However, notifications sent through contact methods provided voluntarily by members, such as mobile phone numbers, shall be sent only to members who have provided the relevant information. Information intended to promote services shall be sent only to members who have given prior consent to receive such information, in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. Members may withdraw their consent to receive such information at any time.

• ① Members must not engage in any of the following acts:
  • Entering false information when registering for membership or modifying member information
  • Unlawfully using or sharing another person’s account or personal information
  • Disrupting the operation of the Platform or hindering the normal provision of services
  • Infringing the reputation, rights, copyrights, or other intellectual property rights of the Institute or a third party
  • Slandering, insulting, or defaming another person
  • Posting or distributing obscene material, illegal information, or information contrary to social order or public order
  • Posting or transmitting malicious code, viruses, or equivalent information
  • Using the Platform to engage in acts that violate applicable laws and regulations
  • Providing false or inaccurate information through the Platform’s counselling, education, community, interest group, or other services
  • Using information provided through the Platform for commercial purposes without the Institute’s prior approval
  • Abnormally collecting or using the Platform’s services or information by automated means or other similar methods
  • Collecting, storing, or disclosing another member’s personal information without consent, or using or disclosing for purposes other than those for which it was obtained information about another person learned in the course of counselling or community activities
  • Engaging in any other act prohibited by applicable laws and regulations or these Terms of Use
• ② Members must comply with applicable laws and regulations, these Terms of Use, and any usage guidelines separately provided by the Platform in connection with their use of the Services.

• ① As a general rule, the Institute shall provide the Services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, unless there are exceptional technical or operational circumstances.
• ② The Platform may provide the following services to support foreign research personnel in their daily lives and career development:
  • Information on daily life and settling into life in Korea
  • Consulting (counseling) applications and related counseling services
  • Information on participation in research and development
  • Information on education and learning programs and related services
  • Career development and recruitment information
  • Recruitment announcements provided through links with external recruitment information providers
  • Community and interest group services for information sharing among members
  • Information on support programs for foreign research personnel and related information
  • Member convenience services, including member information management and notifications
  • Other services necessary to support foreign research personnel in their daily lives and career development
• ③ Certain information provided through the Platform may be made available through links with relevant organizations or external services.
• ④ The Institute may modify the content, delivery methods, timing, and other aspects of the Services as necessary for operational or technical reasons.
• ⑤ If the content of the Services changes, the Institute shall notify users of the changes and the reasons for them through the Platform. However, in unavoidable circumstances, such as urgent service recovery or security measures, notification may be provided after the event.
• ⑥ The Institute may temporarily suspend the provision of the Services where reasonably necessary for operational reasons, including the inspection, replacement, or failure of information and communications facilities, communications disruptions, security measures, natural disasters, or other significant circumstances.
• ⑦ The personal information items processed, purposes of processing, and retention periods applicable to the services listed in Paragraph 2 shall be governed by the Privacy Policy.

• ① The counseling services provided through the Platform are intended to support foreign research personnel in their daily lives in Korea, research activities, and career development.
• ② Counseling content and outcomes may vary depending on each member’s individual circumstances. The Platform’s counselling services do not replace professional judgement or advice in areas such as law, medicine, or taxation.
• ③ Members shall assess the information provided through counselling in light of their own circumstances before using it.
• ④ To provide counseling services, the Institute may provide the assigned consultant with the member’s counseling application details and the minimum member information necessary to conduct the counseling. The personal information items processed and the legal basis for their provision shall be governed by the Privacy Policy.
• ⑤ Consultants must not use members’ personal information or counseling content obtained during counseling for purposes other than counseling, or disclose such information to third parties.

• ① The Platform may provide information on education and programs for foreign research personnel and, within the scope prescribed by the Platform, offer related services, including applications, approval of participation, notifications, and other associated services.
• ② The schedules, content, participation requirements, operating methods, and other aspects of education and programs may change in accordance with the operational plans for the relevant education or program.
• ③ Necessary information concerning the operation of education and programs may be provided separately for each relevant course or program.
• ④ The Institute processes members’ application records and completion records to manage applications for and participation approvals for education and programs, as well as completion tracking. The specific personal information items processed and their retention periods shall be governed by the Privacy Policy.
• ⑤ Where an education course or program is jointly operated with an external organization and it is necessary to provide members’ personal information to that organization, the Institute shall inform members in advance of the recipient, purpose of provision, items provided, and retention period, and obtain their separate consent.

• ① To support the career development and employment of foreign research personnel, the Platform may provide recruitment announcements and related information through links to relevant organizations or external services.
• ② The titles, recruitment periods, organization names, employment conditions, application methods, and other details of recruitment announcements provided by external sources may change or differ from the actual information depending on the circumstances of the information provider.
• ③ Applications for vacancies, recruitment decisions, employment conditions, and related matters are matters between the recruiting organization and the applicant. Unless otherwise specified, the Institute does not guarantee recruitment outcomes.
• ④ The Platform provides only a function for displaying recruitment announcements and does not collect members’ application documents or other application information or transmit such information to recruiting organizations. When applying for a vacancy, members must follow the procedures and Privacy Policy of the relevant recruiting organization. The Institute is not involved in that process.

• ① The Platform may provide community services, including the Open Lounge and interest groups, to facilitate information sharing and networking among members.
• ② Posts in the Open Lounge shall be managed as follows:
  • Once published, a post cannot be edited or deleted by the member who created it.
  • Comments and replies to comments may be edited by their authors. Any edited comment or reply shall be marked as edited.
  • Authors cannot directly delete their comments or replies to comments.
• ③ Posts in interest groups shall be managed as follows:
  • Once published, a post cannot be edited by either its author or the Interest Group Leader.
  • The Interest Group Leader may delete posts published in the relevant interest group.
  • Comments and replies to comments may be edited by their authors. Any edited comment or reply shall be marked as edited.
  • Authors cannot directly delete their comments or replies to comments.
  • The Interest Group Leader may not edit or delete comments or replies to comments written by other members.
• ④ Members of the community and interest groups must respect the rights and opinions of other members and must not create posts that are inconsistent with the purposes of the Services.
• ⑤ Notwithstanding Paragraphs 2 and 3, if a post created by a member contains the personal information of that member or another person, the member may request that the Institute delete the post or restrict access to it. The Institute shall take the necessary measures without delay in accordance with the Personal Information Protection Act and notify the member of the outcome.
• ⑥ The designation of Interest Group Leaders and the scope of their authority shall be separately determined by the Platform and communicated to users. Interest Group Leaders must not use members’ personal information obtained in the course of operating an interest group for purposes other than operating that group.

• ① Members must comply with applicable laws and regulations and these Terms of Use when creating posts on the Platform, and must not post content that infringes the rights or reputation of others.
• ② The Institute may restrict the public visibility of or delete posts to the extent necessary for the operation of the Services if they fall under any of the following categories:
  • Posts that violate applicable laws and regulations or these Terms of Use
  • Posts that infringe the rights or reputation of others
  • Posts containing information, including personal information, that may infringe the rights of others
  • Posts containing obscene material, illegal information, or other content contrary to social order or public order
  • Posts involving advertising, promotion, spam, or other content inconsistent with the purposes of the Services
  • Posts that have been reported and require fact-checking or operational measures, as deemed necessary
  • Posts that seriously disrupt the normal operation of the Platform
  • Other posts requiring action under applicable laws and regulations or the Platform’s operational policies
• ③ When a post is reported, the Institute may review the report and relevant facts and take measures, including restricting public visibility or deleting the post, in accordance with the Platform’s operational policies.
• ④ Where necessary for the management and operation of posts, the Institute may establish separate service operational policies and publish them through the Platform.
• ⑤ In the course of receiving reports and taking action under Paragraph 3, the Institute may record and retain information about the person making the report, the person reported, and the outcome of the handling process. Such matters shall be governed by the Privacy Policy.

• ① Copyright in posts published by members on the Platform belongs to the respective members.
• ② Members must ensure that the posts they publish do not infringe the rights of third parties.
• ③ The Institute may display, store, reproduce, transmit, and manage posts published by members within the Platform to the extent necessary to operate the Platform and provide its Services.
• ④ The Institute shall not arbitrarily modify the content of posts published by members. However, it may restrict public visibility or delete posts in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, these Terms of Use, or the Platform’s operational policies.
• ⑤ Unless otherwise indicated, copyright and other intellectual property rights in content provided by the Institute through the Platform belong to the Institute or the rightful rights holders.
• ⑥ Members must not reproduce, distribute, transmit, sell, display, broadcast, perform, or commercially use content provided through the Platform without the prior permission of the Institute or the relevant rights holder.

• ① Members may request withdrawal of membership at any time through the [My Page → Withdraw Membership] menu or other available means on the Platform. The Institute shall process such requests in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
• ② The Institute may restrict a member’s use of the Services or terminate the service agreement if the member violates applicable laws and regulations or these Terms of Use, or disrupts the normal operation of the Platform.
• ③ If the Institute restricts a member’s use of the Services or terminates the service agreement, it shall notify the member of the reasons and procedures in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. However, where urgent action is necessary, notification may be provided afterwards.
• ④ Upon withdrawal of membership or termination of the service agreement, the member’s personal information shall be destroyed without delay in accordance with the Privacy Policy. However, information that must be retained under applicable laws and regulations shall be retained for the required period. Where necessary for statistical compilation, scientific research, public-interest record preservation, or similar purposes, information may be retained and used after being anonymized or pseudonymized so that individuals cannot be identified.
• ⑤ Posts published by a member in the community or interest groups may remain on the Platform after withdrawal of membership or termination of the service agreement to preserve other members’ access to information and maintain the consistency of posts. In such cases, the author’s display name shall be changed to an indication that the author has withdrawn from membership. Members who wish to have their posts deleted before leaving the Platform may request deletion in accordance with Article 14(5) before submitting their withdrawal request.
• ⑥ To prevent former members whose service agreements have been terminated from re-registering improperly or engaging in unauthorized use, the Institute may retain the minimum information necessary for the period specified in the Privacy Policy.
• ⑦ If a member does not use the Services for a certain period of time, the Institute may suspend the account or terminate the service agreement after providing prior notice.

• ① The Institute shall be exempt from liability for the failure to provide services due to force majeure events, including natural disasters, war, national emergencies, telecommunications network failures, service interruptions by common carriers, and other circumstances equivalent thereto.
• ② The Institute shall not be liable for service disruptions attributable to the Member.
• ③ The Institute shall not be liable for the accuracy, currency, reliability, or other aspects of information provided through the Platform by external organizations or third parties where the issue arises from circumstances attributable to the relevant information provider.
• ④ The Institute does not warrant the accuracy, reliability, or other aspects of information, materials, or posts created or published by Members using the Platform.
• ⑤ The Institute shall not be directly liable for disputes between Members or between a Member and a third party. However, this shall not apply where the Institute is found liable under applicable laws and regulations.

• ① The Institute and Members shall endeavor to resolve amicably, through mutual consultation, any disputes concerning these Terms of Use.
• ② Disputes concerning these Terms of Use shall be governed by the laws and regulations of the Republic of Korea.
• ③ Any lawsuit between the Institute and a Member shall be brought before a court of competent jurisdiction in accordance with the Civil Procedure Act.
• ④ Members may request mediation or consultation from the Personal Information Dispute Mediation Committee, the Personal Information Infringement Report Center, or other relevant bodies regarding disputes related to the processing of personal information. The applicable procedures shall be governed by the Privacy Policy.

• ① These Terms of Use are provided in Korean and English.
• ② Where there is a discrepancy between the Korean and English versions, the Korean version shall prevail, provided that such interpretation does not disadvantage the Member.

• ① The operating organization and contact details for the Platform are as follows.
  • Operating organization: Korea Institute of Human Resources Development in Science and Technology (KIRD)
  • Address: (28116) 45, Yangcheong 4-gil, Ochang-eup, Cheongwon-gu, Cheongju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do, Republic of Korea
  • Operating department: Career Support Division / 042-820-4018, mrkim@kird.re.kr
• ② Members may direct inquiries and requests concerning service use, personal information processing, grievance handling, remedies for harm, and related matters to the contact point specified in paragraph 1 or to the personal information protection officer and responsible department identified in the Privacy Policy.

• ① These Terms of Use shall enter into force on October 27, 2026.
• ② The effective date of these Terms of Use shall be the same as that of the Platform’s Privacy Policy.