storywebtoon

Terms of Service

This is an English translation of the Korean Terms of Service (이용약관). The Korean version is the legal original; if the two differ, the Korean version prevails.

Effective date: September 30, 2026

Article 1 (Purpose)

These Terms set out the conditions and procedures for using storyhana (storyhana.com, including the English edition /en/ and the Japanese edition /ja/; the “Service”), a web fiction service operated by Dual Media Co., Ltd. (the “Company”), and the rights and obligations of the Company and users.

Article 2 (Operator)

Article 3 (Definitions)

  1. “User”: anyone who accesses and uses the Service (members and non-members).
  2. “Member”: a person who has agreed to these Terms and signed up.
  3. “Author”: a member who posts stories.
  4. “Posts”: everything users put on the Service, including stories, chapters, author’s notes, comments and reviews, in text or images.

Article 4 (Posting and changing these Terms)

  1. These Terms are always available through the link at the bottom of every page of the Service.
  2. When we change these Terms, we will announce the changes and their effective date at least 7 days in advance (at least 30 days for changes unfavorable to members), and will also notify members of unfavorable changes by their sign-up email (if any).
  3. If you do not agree to the changed Terms, you may delete your account.

Article 5 (Sign-up)

  1. Only people aged 14 or older may sign up. We confirm this at sign-up.
  2. You can sign up with an email address or with a Naver or Google account. Either way, you go through the age confirmation in paragraph 1 and agree to these Terms and the Privacy Policy.
  3. If you sign up with someone else’s email or account or with false information, we may refuse the sign-up or later terminate the agreement.

Article 6 (Accounts and pen names)

  1. Members manage their own account and password and may not lend or transfer them to others.
  2. Your nickname (pen name) is shown on screen as is. We recommend that you do not use your real name or any name by which others could identify you.
  3. We may ask you to change, or may change, a pen name that impersonates someone or contains profanity or hate speech.

Article 7 (The Service)

  1. The Service is a place to read and write web fiction. The opening chapters set for each story (chapter 1 by default) can be read without signing in; later chapters can be read after signing in.
  2. Chapters up to the number set for each story (chapter 10 by default) are free. Later chapters can be bought with Cash or rented with Points under Article 7-2. The Cash or Points needed are shown in the chapter list and on the reading screen. Some stories may be free in full. Paid chapters are currently offered only on the Korean edition.
  3. The Company may display advertising on the Service.
  4. The Company may change the Service where needed for operational or technical reasons, and will announce in advance any change with a significant effect on members.
  5. The Service may be temporarily unavailable due to maintenance, outages, natural disasters and similar events.

Article 7-2 (Cash and Points)

  1. Cash is an in-service credit that members buy. 1 Cash = 100 KRW; bonus Cash included in a package is the same Cash. A chapter bought with Cash can be read with no time limit.
  2. Points are given free of charge by the Company for daily check-ins, sign-up, events and the like. Points rent a chapter for a set time (72 hours by default); after that the chapter can no longer be read.
  3. Cash is used only to buy and Points only to rent; they are not combined.
  4. Validity: Cash, 1 year from purchase; Points, the period shown in the Service (30 days by default) from receipt. They expire afterward.
  5. Points cannot be exchanged for money, refunded or transferred. Cash cannot be transferred.
  6. Cash can be used only to buy chapters in the Service, not to buy goods from anyone else.

Article 7-3 (Payment, withdrawal and refunds)

  1. Cash is paid for in the payment window of the Company's payment agent (Toss Payments). The Company does not receive card numbers or other payment details.
  2. If none of the Cash from a purchase has been used within 7 days, you can cancel that purchase in full on the Cash screen (Article 17(1), Act on the Consumer Protection in Electronic Commerce).
  3. After 7 days, or if part has been used, we refund the remaining Cash (amount paid × remaining Cash ÷ Cash received) to the original payment method on request through the contact page.
  4. Bought or rented chapters cannot be withdrawn or refunded, because delivery of the digital content has begun (Article 17(2)5 of the same Act). The Company shows this on the payment and unlock screens and lets you preview the free chapters (up to chapter 10 by default) (Article 17(6) of the Act; Article 21-2 of its Enforcement Decree).
  5. If a minor paid without the consent of a legal guardian, the minor or the guardian may cancel the contract (Article 5, Civil Act; Article 13(3), the same Act).
  6. If you cannot read a chapter because of the Company's fault, we return the Cash used or restore access.
  7. If the Company ends the Service or abolishes Cash or Points, it gives 30 days' notice and refunds remaining Cash at the amount paid × the remaining ratio. Points are not compensated (Digital Content Standard Terms, Articles 12(6) and 13(5)).

Article 8 (Rights in stories and license)

  1. Copyright in stories posted by authors belongs to the authors.
  2. Authors grant the Company a royalty-free, non-exclusive license within the following scope. The license ends when the author deletes the story or their account.
    1. Storing, reproducing and transmitting the story within the Service to show it to users
    2. Showing the title, synopsis, cover and short excerpts in story lists, search, rankings, recommendations and author pages
    3. Featuring the title, cover, synopsis and short excerpts inside and outside the Service (such as official social media) to promote the Service
    4. Sending chapter text with the anti-piracy marks described in Article 10
  3. Translation into other languages, or use in other forms such as books or video, requires a separate agreement with the author.
  4. Authors must hold the rights needed for what they post, and are responsible for disputes arising from posting others’ work without permission.

Article 8-2 (Sharing revenue from paid chapters)

  1. When an author's chapter is bought with Cash, the Company pays the author 60% of the Cash's KRW value after VAT and payment fees. Rentals with Points generate no payment, so nothing is shared.
  2. Each month the Company settles the author's share accumulated through the previous month and sends it to the author's account. Amounts under 10,000 KRW roll over to the next month.
  3. For individual authors the Company withholds income tax and local income tax as required by Korean law, and for this collects the author's legal name, Korean resident registration number and bank account (see the Privacy Policy). Business authors provide a business registration number.
  4. Authors can set the first paid chapter and price, or keep all chapters free, in the Author Studio.
  5. Changes to the share rate or settlement method that are unfavorable to authors are announced 30 days in advance.

Article 9 (Prohibited conduct)

Users must not:

  1. Post or plagiarize other people’s writing or images without permission
  2. Post illegally filmed material and similar content (recordings and copies under Article 14, and edited, synthesized or processed material and copies under Article 14-2, of the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes; and child or juvenile sexual exploitation material under the Act on the Protection of Children and Youth Against Sex Offenses) — such content is removed or blocked immediately, and posting it may be punished under the relevant laws
  3. Post obscene content, content that defames others by publicly revealing facts or falsehoods with intent to disparage, or content that invades privacy
  4. Post content that incites violence or discrimination, or seriously promotes hatred, based on race, nationality, region, sex, disability, age or similar grounds
  5. Post content harmful to minors (Article 12)
  6. Automatically scrape chapter text, re-post it elsewhere, or try to remove the anti-piracy marks
  7. Post or trade other people’s personal information, or flood the Service with advertising or spam
  8. Post any other information whose distribution is prohibited by law

Article 10 (Anti-piracy marks — notice to and consent of authors)

  1. To prevent unauthorized copying, the Company sends signed-in members chapter text that differs very slightly from person to person (for example, one comma or one similar word — marks that are hard to notice), and records which marks were sent to whom.
  2. As a result, the text readers see may differ from the author’s original in a few characters. Marks are added only in ways that do not change the plot or meaning, and the original the author uploaded is not altered.
  3. By posting a story, the author consents to these marks.
  4. Mark records are used only to confirm leaks.

Article 11 (Reports and handling of posts)

① Requests to remove infringing posts (Article 44-2 of the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection)

  1. A person whose rights (such as privacy, reputation or copyright) are infringed by a post may, through the report page (storyhana.com/en/report/), explain the infringement and request deletion of the post or publication of a rebuttal. Please include: the address of the post, what was infringed and why, what you are requesting (deletion or rebuttal), and how you want to receive progress and results (such as email).
  2. On receiving a request, the Company takes the necessary measures, such as deletion or a temporary measure, without delay, and immediately notifies both the requester and the person who posted it. The poster is notified by their sign-up email; members may also designate another means of contact in advance.
  3. The fact that a measure was taken is shown in place of the post (for example, “This post has been restricted following a rights-infringement report”) so that users can see it.

② Temporary measures (up to 30 days)

  1. If it is hard to judge whether rights are infringed, or a dispute between the parties is expected, the Company temporarily blocks access to the post for up to 30 days (a temporary measure).
  2. During the temporary measure, the poster may ask through the report page for the post to be restored (an objection). The Company reviews both sides’ explanations, decides whether to restore or delete the post, and notifies both sides. If no request to restore is made within the period, the post may be deleted.
  3. Even without a request, the Company may apply a temporary measure on its own if it finds that a post infringes others’ rights such as privacy or reputation (Article 44-3 of the same Act). The same notice, display and time limit apply.

③ Illegally filmed material (Article 22-5 of the Telecommunications Business Act)

  1. When the Company becomes aware, through a report, a deletion request or a request from a relevant agency or organization, that illegally filmed material described in Article 9(2) has been posted, it immediately (without delay) deletes it or blocks access.
  2. If it is hard to judge whether content is such material, the Company may request a review by the Korea Media and Communications Review Commission (방송미디어통신심의위원회) and will act without delay on the outcome.
  3. The member who posted it may have their use restricted under Article 13, even before notice.

④ Other prohibited posts

The Company may delete or hide posts prohibited under Article 9 and will tell the poster why.

Article 12 (Adult-only (19+) works)

  1. The Service does not currently accept 19+ (adult-only) works. Offering such works requires the legal age and identity verification process, which the Service does not yet provide.
  2. Stories containing content harmful to minors (sexual, violent or similar content) therefore may not be posted. If such a story is posted, the Company may take it down and restrict use.
  3. If the Service later accepts 19+ works, it will first amend these Terms to set out the verification and labeling methods.

Article 13 (Restrictions on use)

  1. If you violate these Terms or the law, the Company may, depending on the case, issue a warning, hide or delete posts, restrict posting, or suspend or terminate the account.
  2. We will tell the member the reason and duration of any restriction. Members may object through the report and inquiry page, and we will tell them the result of our review.
  3. For serious violations such as illegally filmed material, we may act before giving notice.

Article 14 (Deleting your account)

  1. Members may at any time ask to delete their account through the report and inquiry page (type “Other”) or by phone (+82-2-6377-6300), and the Company will handle it without delay.
  2. When an account is deleted, personal information is destroyed under the Privacy Policy. Stories, chapters, comments and reviews posted by the member are deleted as well. Authors who want their stories kept should tell the Company before deleting their account.

Article 15 (Company obligations)

  1. The Company complies with the law and these Terms and strives to provide the Service continuously and reliably.
  2. The Company protects users’ personal information under the Privacy Policy.
  3. The Company strives to keep information that infringes others’ rights from circulating on the Service.

Article 16 (Liability)

  1. Responsibility for the content of a post lies with the user who posted it.
  2. The Company is not liable for damage caused by natural disasters or by the user’s own fault. However, the Company is liable under the law for damage caused by its intent or negligence.
  3. Apart from the revenue sharing in Article 8-2, the Company does not pay authors for posting stories (unless there is a separate agreement).

Article 17 (Governing law and disputes)

  1. These Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of Korea.
  2. If a dispute arises, the parties will first try in good faith to resolve it through discussion; any lawsuit shall be filed with the competent court under the Civil Procedure Act of the Republic of Korea.
  3. The English and Japanese Terms are translations; if their meaning differs, the Korean version prevails.

Addendum

These Terms take effect on September 29, 2026.

(Amendment) These Terms, as amended to add Cash, Points, paid chapters and revenue sharing (Articles 2, 7, 7-2, 7-3, 8-2 and 16), take effect on September 30, 2026.

(Amendment) These Terms, as amended to set the validity of Cash to 1 year from purchase (Article 7-2), take effect on October 2, 2026. Cash bought before that date remains valid for 5 years from purchase.