Cookie Policy — SeoulVision2030.com Cookie Usage & Consent
Cookie Policy
Effective Date: March 22, 2026 Last Updated: March 22, 2026
This Cookie Policy explains how SeoulVision2030.com (“we,” “us,” or “the Platform”) uses cookies and similar tracking technologies when you visit our website. It describes what cookies are, what specific cookies we deploy, why each is necessary, how long each persists, and how you can control your cookie preferences. This policy is part of our commitment to transparency — the same principle that governs our data methodology applies to how we handle your browsing data.
This policy should be read alongside our Privacy Policy, which provides comprehensive information about how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal data, and our Terms of Service, which governs your use of the Platform.
What Are Cookies
Cookies are small text files placed on your device (computer, tablet, or smartphone) when you visit a website. They are stored by your web browser and sent back to the originating website on subsequent visits, enabling the website to recognize your device and remember certain information about your session or preferences.
Cookies serve multiple functions. Some are essential for the website to operate correctly — without them, features like page navigation, session management, and security protections would not function. Others help website operators understand how visitors interact with their content, enabling improvements to navigation, content organization, and user experience. Still others support advertising networks in delivering relevant advertisements and measuring campaign effectiveness.
A typical cookie contains several pieces of information: a name (identifying the cookie), a value (the data stored), an expiration date (when the browser should delete the cookie), a path (which pages on the site can access the cookie), a domain (which website set the cookie), and security flags (whether the cookie requires HTTPS and whether client-side scripts can access it).
First-party cookies are set by the website you are visiting directly — in this case, SeoulVision2030.com. They are readable only by our Platform and are used for session management, preference storage, and analytics we operate directly. First-party cookies are generally considered lower risk from a privacy perspective because they are confined to a single domain.
Third-party cookies are set by external services operating on our website. These include analytics platforms (Google Analytics), advertising networks (Google AdSense), and social media integrations. Third-party cookies may track your browsing activity across multiple websites that use the same third-party service, enabling cross-site behavioral profiling.
Session cookies are temporary cookies that exist only while your browser is open. They are deleted automatically when you close your browser window or tab. Session cookies are used for functions like maintaining your login state as you navigate between pages.
Persistent cookies remain on your device for a defined period after your browser is closed. They are used for functions like remembering your preferences or consent choices so that these settings are preserved across visits.
Similar technologies covered by this policy include:
- Web beacons (also called pixel tags or clear GIFs) — Tiny transparent images (typically 1x1 pixel) embedded in web pages or emails that record when a page is viewed or an email is opened. Web beacons can report the IP address of the device that retrieved the beacon, the time it was viewed, the browser type, and whether a cookie was previously set by the same server
- Local storage — Browser-based storage (HTML5 localStorage) that retains data without an expiration date until explicitly cleared by the user or the website. Local storage provides more capacity than cookies (typically 5-10 MB vs. 4 KB) and is not sent with every HTTP request
- Session storage — Browser-based storage (HTML5 sessionStorage) that retains data for the duration of a browser session and is cleared when the tab or window is closed
- IndexedDB — A low-level browser API for storing structured data, used for offline caching of content
- Fingerprinting — We do not use browser fingerprinting techniques to identify users. Browser fingerprinting collects device and browser configuration details (screen resolution, installed fonts, plugin list, timezone, language settings) to create a unique identifier without using cookies. We consider this practice incompatible with our transparency principles
Categories of Cookies We Use
We organize the cookies deployed on SeoulVision2030.com into four categories based on their purpose. Each category is described below with its legal basis for processing, the specific cookies deployed, and the data each cookie collects.
1. Strictly Necessary Cookies
Purpose: These cookies are essential for the Platform to function properly. They enable core functionality including page navigation, secure access to subscriber areas, load balancing across servers, session integrity, security protections, and remembering your cookie consent preferences. Without these cookies, the Platform cannot operate as intended — pages would not load correctly, forms would not submit, and subscriber content would be inaccessible.
Legal basis: Legitimate interest (GDPR Art. 6(1)(f); South Korea PIPA Art. 15(1)(6)). These cookies do not require consent because they are necessary for the service you have requested.
Consent: These cookies cannot be disabled through our consent mechanism because disabling them would prevent the Platform from functioning. They do not collect personal information for marketing purposes and do not track your behavior across websites.
| Cookie Name | Provider | Type | Purpose | Data Stored | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| session_id | SeoulVision2030.com | First-party, session | Maintains your browsing session across page loads. Links your HTTP requests to your server-side session state, enabling consistent page rendering and form processing | Randomly generated alphanumeric string (e.g., “a1b2c3d4e5f6”). No personal data | Session (deleted when browser closes) |
| cookie_consent | SeoulVision2030.com | First-party, persistent | Records your cookie consent preferences (which categories you accepted or declined) so the consent banner is not shown on every visit | JSON-encoded string recording category selections: necessary (always true), analytics (true/false), advertising (true/false), functional (true/false), and timestamp of consent | 12 months |
| cookie_consent_version | SeoulVision2030.com | First-party, persistent | Records the version of the cookie consent policy you agreed to, enabling re-consent prompts when the policy is materially updated | Integer version number (e.g., “3”) | 12 months |
| csrf_token | SeoulVision2030.com | First-party, session | Cross-site request forgery protection token. Prevents malicious websites from submitting unauthorized requests on your behalf by validating that form submissions originate from our Platform | Randomly generated cryptographic token. Regenerated per session | Session |
| subscriber_auth | SeoulVision2030.com | First-party, persistent | Authentication token for logged-in Premium Intelligence subscribers. Maintains your authenticated session so you do not need to log in on every page load | Encrypted authentication token containing session identifier. Does not contain username or password | 30 days (refreshed on each authenticated visit) |
| subscriber_tier | SeoulVision2030.com | First-party, persistent | Records the subscriber’s access tier to enable appropriate content gating without requiring a database query on every page load | String value indicating subscription level (e.g., “free,” “premium,” “exclusive”) | 30 days |
| load_balancer | SeoulVision2030.com | First-party, session | Routes your requests to the same server for session consistency, preventing errors caused by session data being on a different server than the one handling your request | Server identifier string. Contains no personal data | Session |
| cf_clearance | Cloudflare | Third-party, persistent | Security cookie set by Cloudflare’s DDoS protection and Web Application Firewall. Indicates that you have passed Cloudflare’s security challenge and should not be challenged again for the duration | Encrypted clearance token | 30 minutes |
| __cf_bm | Cloudflare | Third-party, persistent | Bot management cookie used by Cloudflare to distinguish human visitors from automated bots. Required for Cloudflare’s security layer to function | Encrypted token | 30 minutes |
2. Analytics Cookies
Purpose: Analytics cookies help us understand how visitors interact with the Platform. They collect information about which pages are visited, how long users spend on specific content, which referral sources drive traffic, how users navigate between pages, scroll depth, outbound link clicks, file downloads, and search queries used within the site. This data is aggregated and anonymized before analysis.
Analytics data helps us answer questions critical to editorial decisions: Which vertical pages receive the most traffic? Do users find the glossary through internal links or direct search? Which FAQ questions are most frequently accessed? How do readers navigate between the six verticals? Do readers who enter through Smart City content also visit Investment pages? What is the average time spent on data-heavy analysis pages vs. glossary entries? Which newsletter signup prompts convert at the highest rate? These insights directly inform editorial decisions about content development, site architecture, and resource allocation across verticals.
Legal basis: Consent (GDPR Art. 6(1)(a); South Korea PIPA Art. 15(1)(1)).
Consent: These cookies are only placed after you provide affirmative consent through our cookie banner. You can withdraw consent at any time through the cookie settings link in the website footer.
| Cookie Name | Provider | Type | Purpose | Data Stored | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| _ga | Google Analytics 4 | Third-party, persistent | Distinguishes unique users by assigning a randomly generated number as a client identifier. Used to calculate visitor counts, session counts, and campaign attribution for analytics reports | Randomly generated client ID in format “GA1.2.XXXXXXXXXX.XXXXXXXXXX” | 2 years |
| ga[MEASUREMENT_ID] | Google Analytics 4 | Third-party, persistent | Used by GA4 to maintain session state across page loads within a single visit. Links page views, events, and conversions to a single session | Session identifier and session count | 2 years |
| _gid | Google Analytics | Third-party, persistent | Distinguishes users during high-traffic periods and limits data collection frequency on pages receiving heavy traffic | Randomly generated user identifier | 24 hours |
| gat_gtag[ID] | Google Analytics | Third-party, session | Throttles request rate to Google Analytics servers. Limits the number of analytics events sent per minute to prevent overloading during traffic spikes | Throttle state (1 or absent) | 1 minute |
| gac[ID] | Google Analytics | Third-party, persistent | Contains campaign-related information linking your visit to a specific Google Ads campaign. Only set if you arrived through a Google Ads link | Campaign ID and timestamp | 90 days |
| _ga_debug | Google Analytics | Third-party, session | Diagnostic cookie used during analytics testing. Only present in development environments. Included here for completeness | Debug mode flag | Session |
Data processing: Google Analytics data is processed by Google LLC under their data processing terms (available at privacy.google.com/businesses/processorterms/). We have implemented the following privacy-preserving configurations:
- IP anonymization: Enabled. In GA4, IP addresses are not stored after geolocation processing — only approximate geolocation data (city-level) is retained
- User-ID tracking: Disabled. We do not link analytics data to individual subscriber accounts
- Cross-device tracking: Disabled. We do not attempt to link your activity across multiple devices
- Data retention: Set to 14 months. Analytics data older than 14 months is automatically deleted from Google’s servers
- Google Signals: Disabled. We do not use Google’s cross-device audience features
- Granular location and device data: Disabled for EU users. IP-based geolocation is limited to country level for EU visitors
- Data sharing with Google: Disabled. We do not share analytics data with Google for benchmarking or account linking purposes
3. Advertising Cookies
Purpose: The Platform displays advertisements through Google AdSense to support the free availability of our intelligence content. Advertising cookies enable Google’s advertising network to serve advertisements relevant to your interests based on your browsing activity on our Platform and across other websites participating in Google’s ad network. They track which advertisements you have seen to avoid excessive repetition, measure advertisement effectiveness (impressions, clicks, conversions), limit ad frequency, and build interest profiles for targeted advertising.
Legal basis: Consent (GDPR Art. 6(1)(a); South Korea PIPA Art. 15(1)(1)).
Consent: These cookies are only placed after you provide affirmative consent through our cookie banner. If you decline advertising cookies, advertisements will still be displayed but they will not be personalized to your interests — they will instead be contextually matched to the page content you are viewing.
| Cookie Name | Provider | Type | Purpose | Data Stored | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| __gads | Google AdSense | Third-party, persistent | Primary advertising cookie used by Google to serve and measure advertisements displayed on the Platform. Associates your browser with an ad serving profile | Encrypted ad serving identifier | 13 months |
| __gpi | Google AdSense | Third-party, persistent | Used by Google Publisher Tags (GPT) to manage ad delivery, track ad slot performance, and measure impression and click rates for publisher reporting | Encrypted publisher identifier | 13 months |
| __gpi_optout | Google AdSense | Third-party, persistent | Records your opt-out preference for Google Publisher Identifier tracking. Set when you opt out through Google’s ad settings | Opt-out flag | 13 months |
| IDE | Google (DoubleClick) | Third-party, persistent | Used by Google DoubleClick to register and report user actions after viewing or clicking an advertisement. Measures ad effectiveness including view-through and click-through conversions | Encrypted identifier linking ad exposures to subsequent actions | 13 months (24 months in non-EU regions) |
| NID | Third-party, persistent | Stores preferences and information used to customize ad-served pages, including search results and ad delivery on Google properties. Contains language preference, number of search results per page, and SafeSearch filter state | Encrypted preference data | 6 months | |
| DSID | Google (DoubleClick) | Third-party, persistent | Used to identify a signed-in Google user on non-Google sites for the purpose of ad personalization. Only set if you are logged into a Google account while browsing | Encrypted signed-in user identifier | 2 weeks |
| 1P_JAR | Third-party, persistent | Gathers website statistics and tracks conversion rates for Google Ads campaigns. Used to determine advertising effectiveness for ads that directed users to the Platform | Encrypted session and conversion data | 1 month | |
| CONSENT | Third-party, persistent | Records the user’s consent state for Google services across the current domain. Stores whether the user has interacted with Google’s consent flow | Consent state encoded as alphanumeric string | 20 years | |
| test_cookie | Google (DoubleClick) | Third-party, session | Technical diagnostic cookie used to verify that the user’s browser supports cookies before attempting to set advertising cookies. If this cookie cannot be set, Google falls back to non-cookie-based ad serving | String value “CheckForPermission” | 15 minutes |
| DV | Third-party, session | Used by Google for ad targeting and measurement in specific geographic regions. Contains encoded region and language data | Encrypted region/language data | 7 minutes | |
| FCNEC | Google AdSense | Third-party, persistent | First-party cookie for ad network efficiency control. Used by Google AdSense to optimize ad delivery and reduce latency in ad loading | Encrypted efficiency parameters | 1 year |
| _gcl_au | Google AdSense | Third-party, persistent | Google Conversion Linker cookie used to store conversion data. Links ad clicks to subsequent actions on the Platform for conversion reporting | Encrypted conversion data | 90 days |
Personalized vs. non-personalized ads: If you consent to advertising cookies, Google AdSense will serve personalized advertisements based on your browsing history, interest profile, and demographic inferences. If you decline, Google will serve non-personalized advertisements that are contextually relevant to the page content you are viewing (e.g., a page about Korean semiconductor investment might display ads related to financial services or technology) but not tailored to your individual browsing history.
Revenue and editorial independence: Advertising revenue from Google AdSense supports the free availability of the Platform’s content. Advertising relationships have no influence on editorial content, data selection, source prioritization, or analytical conclusions. This separation is described in detail on our methodology page.
4. Functional Cookies
Purpose: Functional cookies enable enhanced functionality and personalization features that improve your experience on the Platform but are not strictly necessary for basic operation. These include remembering your display preferences, tracking your reading history for personalized navigation, and suppressing prompts you have already dismissed. Disabling functional cookies will not prevent the Platform from operating but may result in a less personalized experience.
Legal basis: Consent (GDPR Art. 6(1)(a)) or legitimate interest (GDPR Art. 6(1)(f)) depending on the specific function.
Consent: Most functional cookies require consent and are governed by your cookie banner selections. Certain functional cookies that are closely tied to explicitly requested functionality (such as remembering a language selection you actively chose) may be placed under legitimate interest.
| Cookie Name | Provider | Type | Purpose | Data Stored | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| user_prefs | SeoulVision2030.com | First-party, persistent | Stores user interface preferences including text size, layout density, table display settings (expanded vs. collapsed), and content display format preferences | JSON-encoded preference object (e.g., {“fontSize”: “medium”, “density”: “comfortable”, “tables”: “expanded”}) | 12 months |
| recent_pages | SeoulVision2030.com | First-party, persistent | Records the last 20 pages you visited to enable the “recently viewed” navigation feature and personalize content recommendations on the homepage | Array of page paths with visit timestamps (e.g., [{“path”: “/smart-city/”, “ts”: 1711123200}]). No personal identifiers | 30 days |
| newsletter_dismissed | SeoulVision2030.com | First-party, persistent | Records that you dismissed the newsletter signup prompt so it is not shown again during the retention period. Prevents the same promotional element from repeatedly interrupting your reading experience | Boolean flag and dismissal timestamp | 90 days |
| report_dismissed | SeoulVision2030.com | First-party, persistent | Records that you dismissed the intelligence report download prompt so it is not shown again during the retention period | Boolean flag and dismissal timestamp | 90 days |
| vertical_pref | SeoulVision2030.com | First-party, persistent | Stores your preferred content vertical (Smart City, Economy, Culture, Infrastructure, Investment, or Sustainability) for homepage content prioritization and navigation ordering | String value of preferred vertical slug (e.g., “economy”) | 12 months |
| theme_pref | SeoulVision2030.com | First-party, persistent | Stores your dark mode or light mode preference for the Platform interface. Ensures your visual preference is maintained across sessions | String value (“light” or “dark”) | 12 months |
| sidebar_state | SeoulVision2030.com | First-party, persistent | Records whether you prefer the navigation sidebar expanded or collapsed on desktop layouts | String value (“expanded” or “collapsed”) | 12 months |
Local Storage and Session Storage Usage
In addition to cookies, the Platform uses browser local storage and session storage for specific functions. These storage mechanisms are governed by the same consent categories as cookies.
| Storage Key | Storage Type | Category | Purpose | Data Stored |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| sv2030_scroll_pos | Session storage | Functional | Preserves your scroll position on long pages when you navigate away and return using the browser back button | Page path and Y-axis pixel offset |
| sv2030_table_sort | Session storage | Functional | Remembers your sort preferences for data tables during the current session | Table identifier and sort column/direction |
| sv2030_search_history | Local storage | Functional | Stores your last 10 on-site search queries to enable search suggestions and quick re-search | Array of search query strings with timestamps. Cleared after 30 days |
| sv2030_font_size | Local storage | Functional | Stores your font size selection for immediate application before cookies are loaded, preventing a flash of default-sized text | Integer value (14, 16, 18, or 20) |
| sv2030_offline_cache | Local storage | Strictly necessary | Stores minimal page metadata for service worker offline functionality. Enables basic page navigation when connectivity is intermittent | Page titles and paths only. No content cached |
Managing Your Cookie Preferences
You have multiple options for controlling how cookies are used when you visit SeoulVision2030.com.
Cookie Consent Banner
When you first visit the Platform, a cookie consent banner is displayed allowing you to:
- Accept all cookies — Enables all four cookie categories (strictly necessary, analytics, advertising, functional)
- Accept necessary only — Enables only strictly necessary cookies and blocks analytics, advertising, and functional cookies
- Customize — Opens a detailed panel where you can enable or disable each non-essential cookie category independently
Your preferences are saved via the cookie_consent cookie (strictly necessary, 12-month duration) and applied on all subsequent visits. You can update your preferences at any time by clicking the “Cookie Settings” link in the website footer, which reopens the consent panel.
The consent banner complies with the following requirements:
- No pre-checked boxes: Non-essential cookie categories are not pre-selected. You must affirmatively opt in
- Granular control: Each non-essential category can be accepted or declined independently
- Equal prominence: The “Accept necessary only” option is presented with equal visual prominence to “Accept all”
- No dark patterns: We do not use misleading language, color contrast tricks, or confusing button placement to steer you toward accepting all cookies
- Accessible: The consent banner meets WCAG 2.1 Level AA accessibility requirements, including keyboard navigation and screen reader compatibility
Browser-Level Cookie Controls
Most modern web browsers provide built-in cookie management through their settings menus. Common browser controls include:
- Block all cookies — Prevents all cookies from being set. Note: this will impair Platform functionality including session management, authentication, and CSRF protection
- Block third-party cookies only — Allows first-party cookies (from SeoulVision2030.com) while blocking cookies from Google Analytics, Google AdSense, and other third-party services. This is the recommended browser setting for users who want Platform functionality without third-party tracking
- Delete existing cookies — Removes all stored cookies. You will need to re-enter your consent preferences on your next visit
- Prompt before accepting cookies — Displays a notification each time a website attempts to set a cookie, allowing you to accept or decline individually
Browser-specific instructions for accessing cookie controls:
| Browser | Version | Cookie Settings Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Chrome | 120+ | Settings → Privacy and Security → Third-party cookies | Chrome is transitioning to Privacy Sandbox; third-party cookie blocking may be the default in future versions |
| Mozilla Firefox | 120+ | Settings → Privacy & Security → Enhanced Tracking Protection | Firefox’s “Strict” mode blocks most third-party tracking cookies by default |
| Safari | 17+ | Preferences → Privacy → Advanced → Block all cookies | Safari blocks third-party cookies by default via Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP) |
| Microsoft Edge | 120+ | Settings → Privacy, search, and services → Cookies and site permissions | Edge offers “Balanced” and “Strict” tracking prevention levels |
| Brave | 1.60+ | Settings → Privacy and security → Cookies and other site data | Brave blocks third-party cookies and many trackers by default |
| Samsung Internet | 24+ | Settings → Privacy → Smart anti-tracking → Cookie settings | Samsung Internet provides anti-tracking features similar to Safari ITP |
Google-Specific Opt-Out Tools
- Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on — Install the add-on from tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout to prevent Google Analytics from collecting data about your visits to any website, not just ours
- Google Ads Settings — Visit adssettings.google.com to manage your Google advertising profile, view and edit interest categories, and opt out of personalized advertising across all Google services
- Google Account Activity Controls — If you have a Google account, visit myaccount.google.com/activitycontrols to manage Web & App Activity, Location History, and YouTube History settings that affect ad personalization
- Digital Advertising Alliance Opt-out — Visit optout.aboutads.info to opt out of targeted advertising from participating advertising networks (US)
- European Digital Advertising Alliance — Visit youronlinechoices.eu to manage advertising preferences for European advertising networks
- Network Advertising Initiative Opt-out — Visit optout.networkadvertising.org for additional advertising opt-out controls
Do Not Track (DNT)
Some browsers offer a “Do Not Track” signal that indicates you do not wish to be tracked. There is currently no universal standard for how websites should respond to DNT signals, and the W3C Tracking Protection Working Group closed without reaching consensus. SeoulVision2030.com respects browser-level cookie blocking settings but does not currently alter behavior based on DNT signals alone, as the standard remains unratified and inconsistently implemented across the advertising ecosystem. If you wish to prevent tracking, we recommend using the cookie consent banner or browser cookie blocking settings described above, which provide enforceable technical controls.
Global Privacy Control (GPC)
We recognize Global Privacy Control (GPC) signals as legally required opt-out requests. When a GPC signal is detected:
- California users (CCPA/CPRA): Treated as an opt-out of the sale or sharing of personal information. Advertising cookies are not set, and only contextual (non-personalized) ads are served
- EU users (GDPR): Treated as a withdrawal of consent for non-essential cookies. Analytics, advertising, and functional cookies are not set
- All other users: Treated as a preference to limit tracking. Non-essential cookies are not set
Compliance with Data Protection Laws
This cookie policy is designed to comply with the cookie consent requirements of the following jurisdictions. Because our readership spans multiple regions — with significant audiences in South Korea, the United States, the European Union, Japan, and Southeast Asia — we implement cookie consent mechanisms that satisfy the strictest applicable requirements.
European Union — GDPR and ePrivacy Directive
Under the ePrivacy Directive (2002/58/EC as amended by 2009/136/EC) and GDPR, prior informed consent is required before placing non-essential cookies on a user’s device. Our consent banner satisfies this requirement by:
- Obtaining affirmative consent (not pre-checked boxes) before analytics, advertising, and functional cookies are activated
- Providing granular category-level consent options
- Making consent withdrawal as easy as initial consent (via footer link)
- Recording consent timestamps and version numbers for accountability
- Not conditioning access to content on acceptance of non-essential cookies
Strictly necessary cookies are exempt from the consent requirement under the ePrivacy Directive Article 5(3) as they are necessary for the provision of the service explicitly requested by the user.
South Korea — Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA)
South Korea’s PIPA requires consent for the collection and use of personal information, including data collected through cookies. Our consent mechanism provides clear information about each cookie category and its purpose in Korean and English, obtains consent before non-essential cookies are placed, and complies with PIPA’s requirements for data minimization (collecting only data necessary for stated purposes), purpose limitation (using cookie data only for disclosed purposes), and secure storage (encrypting cookie values that contain session identifiers).
The Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) has issued guidance clarifying that cookies constitute personal information when they can be combined with other data to identify an individual. Our analytics cookies are configured with IP anonymization and without User-ID tracking to minimize the identifiability of collected data.
United States — CCPA/CPRA (California)
Under the California Consumer Privacy Act and California Privacy Rights Act, California residents have the right to:
- Know what personal information is collected through cookies
- Opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information (including cross-context behavioral advertising data)
- Request deletion of collected cookie data
- Not be discriminated against for exercising privacy rights (we do not alter content quality or access based on cookie preferences)
Our cookie banner and privacy settings provide these controls. We recognize GPC signals from California users as valid opt-out requests. We do not sell personal information in the traditional sense, but cross-context behavioral advertising facilitated by advertising cookies may constitute “sharing” under CPRA, which is why we provide opt-out mechanisms.
United States — Other State Privacy Laws
We also comply with cookie-related provisions of the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (VCDPA), Colorado Privacy Act (CPA), Connecticut Data Privacy Act (CTDPA), and Utah Consumer Privacy Act (UCPA), which provide varying levels of opt-out rights for targeted advertising and data sales.
Brazil — LGPD
For users accessing the Platform from Brazil, we comply with the Lei Geral de Protecao de Dados requirements for informed, unambiguous consent for non-essential data processing. Our consent mechanism meets LGPD requirements for granular, revocable consent with a clear legal basis for each processing activity.
Japan — APPI
For users in Japan, we comply with the Act on the Protection of Personal Information as amended in 2022, including requirements for cookie consent when cookies are used to create user profiles or are combined with other data for identification. Google Analytics cookies fall within the scope of “personally referable information” under the amended APPI.
International Users
For users in jurisdictions not specifically listed above, we apply the highest applicable standard — generally the GDPR consent model — to ensure comprehensive protection regardless of your location. This approach means that all users, regardless of jurisdiction, benefit from granular consent controls, easy withdrawal, and transparent disclosure.
Cookie Retention and Deletion
Cookies are retained for the durations specified in the tables above. When a cookie expires, it is automatically deleted by your browser. You can also delete cookies manually through your browser settings at any time.
The following table summarizes retention periods across all cookie categories:
| Cookie Category | Shortest Duration | Longest Duration | Typical Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strictly necessary | Session (browser close) | 12 months (consent cookie) | Session to 30 days |
| Analytics | 1 minute (throttle) | 2 years (_ga) | 24 hours to 2 years |
| Advertising | 7 minutes (DV) | 20 years (CONSENT) | 1 to 13 months |
| Functional | 30 days (recent_pages) | 12 months (preferences) | 3 to 12 months |
When you withdraw consent for a cookie category through our cookie settings panel:
- We stop placing new cookies in that category immediately
- Existing first-party cookies in that category are deleted from your browser on your next page load via an expiration override
- Third-party cookies (Google Analytics, Google AdSense) are blocked from being set on subsequent page loads. However, existing third-party cookies already stored on your device may need to be cleared through your browser settings or the third party’s opt-out tools, because we cannot directly delete cookies set by third-party domains
- Local storage and session storage entries associated with the withdrawn category are cleared
Children’s Privacy
SeoulVision2030.com is not directed at children under the age of 16. The Platform’s content — covering macroeconomic analysis, investment data, smart city infrastructure, and policy evaluation — is designed for a professional and academic adult audience. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children through cookies or any other mechanism.
If we become aware that a child under 16 has provided personal information or that cookies have been set on a child’s device, we will take steps to delete that information and clear cookie consent records. If you believe a child under 16 has accessed the Platform, please contact us at info@seoulvision2030.com.
Under COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act) in the United States, verifiable parental consent is required before collecting personal information from children under 13. Given the nature of our content, we do not anticipate child visitors, but we maintain these protections as a safeguard.
Changes to This Cookie Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy to reflect changes in the cookies we use, the purposes for which we use them, changes in our advertising partnerships, updates to applicable legal requirements, or changes in third-party services integrated with the Platform. When we make material changes, we will:
- Update the “Last Updated” date at the top of this page
- Increment the cookie consent version number, which triggers a re-consent prompt for all users
- Display a notice on the Platform informing users of the change for a minimum of 14 days
- Reset cookie consent preferences so that users can review and re-consent under the updated policy
- Notify newsletter subscribers via the next scheduled edition
- Maintain an archived version of the previous policy for reference
Non-material changes (e.g., adding a new cookie within an existing category, updating a cookie duration by less than 30 days, correcting typographical errors) will be reflected in an updated “Last Updated” date but will not trigger a re-consent prompt.
We encourage you to review this Cookie Policy periodically to stay informed about how we use cookies. The current version is always available at /about/cookies/.
Contact
For questions about this Cookie Policy, to exercise your cookie-related rights, or to report concerns about cookie usage on the Platform, contact us at:
Email: info@seoulvision2030.com
When contacting us about cookies, please include:
- Your country of residence (so we can apply the correct legal framework)
- The specific cookie or category your inquiry concerns
- Whether you are requesting information, deletion, or modification of cookie data
- Your browser and version (if reporting a technical issue with cookie controls)
You may also refer to our Privacy Policy for comprehensive information about your data protection rights, or visit the contact page for additional communication channels and response time expectations.
For questions about how we collect and verify the data published on the Platform (as distinct from cookies and tracking), see our methodology page.