Cookie Policy

What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that are placed on your device — computer, phone, or tablet — when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work more efficiently and to provide information to website owners.

Cookies can be set by the website you are visiting (“first-party cookies”) or by third-party services that the website uses, such as analytics providers or advertising networks (“third-party cookies”).

Cookies are not viruses or malware. They cannot access other files on your device, and they cannot run programs. They simply store small amounts of data that help websites remember your preferences and understand how you use them.

How KimchiGuide Uses Cookies

KimchiGuide uses cookies for the following purposes:

• To understand how visitors navigate the site and which content is most useful
• To remember your preferences (such as cookie consent status)
• To enable core site functionality such as comment forms and contact forms
• To measure the effectiveness of our content through anonymous analytics data
• To track affiliate link referrals (through Amazon Associates and similar programmes)
• To serve relevant advertising where applicable

We do not use cookies to collect personally identifiable information beyond what you voluntarily provide (such as when submitting a comment or contact form). We do not sell cookie data to third parties.

Types of Cookies We Use

Specific Cookies We Set

The following first-party cookies are set directly by KimchiGuide.com:

Cookie Name	Purpose	Duration	Type
kimchiguide_cookie_consent	Stores your cookie consent preference	12 months	Essential
wordpress_logged_in_*	Keeps you logged in if you have a site account	Session	Essential
wordpress_sec_*	Security cookie — prevents CSRF attacks	Session	Essential
comment_author_*	Remembers your name/email if you have previously commented	12 months	Functional
_ga	Google Analytics — distinguishes unique users	2 years	Analytics
_ga_*	Google Analytics — maintains session state	2 years	Analytics
_gid	Google Analytics — distinguishes users (short-term)	24 hours	Analytics
_gat	Google Analytics — throttles request rate	1 minute	Analytics

Third-party cookies set by Amazon, Google AdSense, or other providers are governed by their own cookie policies and are not listed here.

Third-Party Cookies

The following third-party services may set cookies when you visit KimchiGuide.com. Each is governed by its own privacy and cookie policy:

• Google Analytics — anonymous traffic analytics. Google Privacy Policy · Opt out
• Google AdSense — advertising (if ads are shown). Google Privacy Policy
• Amazon Associates — affiliate link tracking. Amazon Cookie Policy
• YouTube — if any embedded videos are shown. Google Privacy Policy
• Disqus — if comment system is enabled. Disqus Privacy Policy

Managing Your Cookie Preferences

You have several options for managing cookies on KimchiGuide and across the web:

Cookie Consent Banner

When you first visit KimchiGuide, you will be presented with a cookie consent banner where you can accept all cookies, accept only essential cookies, or manage your preferences in detail. You can change your preferences at any time by clearing your browser cookies and revisiting the site.

Browser Settings

You can control cookies directly through your browser settings — blocking all cookies, blocking third-party cookies only, or deleting cookies at any time. Note that blocking essential cookies may affect site functionality such as comment forms.

Google Analytics Opt-Out

You can prevent Google Analytics from tracking your visits by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on. This works across all websites that use Google Analytics.

Advertising Opt-Out

You can opt out of personalised advertising from Google and other networks via YourAdChoices (US) or Your Online Choices (EU/UK).

Managing Cookies in Your Browser

Use the links below to manage cookies in the most common browsers:

Cookie Consent & Legal Basis

KimchiGuide operates in compliance with the UK Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) and the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR).

• Essential cookies are set on the legal basis of legitimate interests — they are necessary for the site to function and do not require explicit consent
• Analytics cookies are set only with your explicit consent via our cookie banner
• Advertising cookies are set only with your explicit consent via our cookie banner
• Affiliate cookies are set by third parties when you choose to click an affiliate link — this constitutes consent by action

You may withdraw consent for non-essential cookies at any time by clearing your browser cookies and selecting your preferences again on your next visit.

Changes to This Cookie Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time as we add new features, third-party services, or in response to changes in applicable law. When we do, the “Last updated” date at the top of this page will be revised.

Continued use of KimchiGuide.com after changes to this policy constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Questions About Cookies