First effective: August 1, 2026 · Last revised: October 12, 2026
Argonautika (아르고나우티카, the “Operator”) operates Bellbook (the “Service”), a vessel safety management records service. This policy explains how we protect personal data and handle privacy inquiries under Article 30 of the Republic of Korea’s Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA).
Shipping companies that subscribe to the Service (“Customer Companies”) use it to manage their vessels’ safety records. Each Customer Company is the personal data controller for its crew and employees and is responsible for the legal basis for collecting and using their data. The Operator acts as a processor entrusted by the Customer Company under Article 26 of PIPA. The scope and responsibilities of processing are set out in a written agreement.
The Operator acts as controller for contract and inquiry information from Customer Company representatives and feedback or inquiries sent directly to the Operator, for contract performance and customer support.
| Category | Data |
|---|---|
| Account information | Name, login identifier (such as email or employee number), rank or role, password (stored as a one-way hash), and an optional recovery email entered by a crew member. |
| Work records | Author, submitter, and approver identifiers; rest and work hours; embarkation and disembarkation history; crew qualifications and training certificates; and activity participants. |
| Personnel records, when entered by a Customer Company | Date of birth, sex, nationality, place of birth, contact details, address, emergency contact (name, relationship, telephone number), identity photograph, employment and departure dates, employment type, employee number, crew management agency, safety equipment sizes, information about Korea’s onboard military reserve service, and past service history (vessel, role, dates). |
| Government identifiers | Korean resident registration number (encrypted at rest and masked in lists), passport number, seafarer’s book number, and other identity document numbers. |
| Sensitive data | Issue and expiry information and copies of health certificates, including seafarer medical certificates. The date on which separate consent was obtained is also recorded. |
| Payroll information | Wage contract items and amounts, days onboard, payments and deductions (including income tax and social insurance), and payment dates. Bank account numbers and dependent information are not collected. |
| Audit history | Action type, device and server timestamps, acting account, and changes made. |
| Attachments | User-uploaded photographs and documents, such as certificate scans, which may include people and personal information. General photo attachments are processed to remove EXIF metadata, including capture location. Evidence photos added through the site-photo or photo-library actions in Documents preserve the selected file, so existing capture location, time, and device information may be retained with it. This does not collect a new GPS location. Capture information follows the same access permissions and retention and deletion rules as the attachment. Metadata in general file attachments, files shared from other apps, or content embedded in PDFs or documents, and visible text or location labels in an image are not automatically removed. Check for unnecessary information before attaching files. |
| Device location (optional) | Latitude and longitude of the current or recent device location when you choose a location action such as “My location” and grant device permission. Used for maps and weather, noon report coordinates, and celestial navigation calculations. See Section 3-4 for transmission and retention. |
| Device and notification information | Mobile push token, device OS and model, and most recent access time. |
| Access logs | Account, access time, source IP address, operation performed, and the person or number of records involved in requests that access or process personal data. |
| Feedback and inquiries | Message content, screen and app version from which it was sent, and the sender’s account. Website enquiries include company, contact name, reply email, enquiry type and message, optional vessel count, processing consent, and an enquiry identifier. |
| Automatic storage | Authentication tokens and language preferences in browser localStorage; no advertising or behavioral tracking in the authenticated Service. |
The Operator processes the following data on behalf of Customer Companies. The Customer Company, as controller, is responsible for the legal basis, notices, and consent.
Section 7 explains AI processing. Personal data included in material that a user enters or attaches to AI chat, document reading, or import features may also be transmitted. Do not enter or attach resident registration numbers, health information, or other data unnecessary for the task.
The authenticated Service (app.bellbook.net) does not use cookies, advertising or behavioral tracking, or third-party analytics tools. Authentication tokens and language preferences are kept in browser localStorage or the app’s secure storage. You can clear them by clearing browser data or signing out; you will then need to sign in again.
The public website (bellbook.net) likewise does not use cookies, advertising, or third-party analytics tools.
Camera permission is requested when you choose to take a photograph. Photos and documents are used to attach files you select. You can change permissions in device settings.
Location permission is requested when you choose “My location” in weather or route planning, or load coordinates in a noon report or celestial navigation. Once allowed, the app obtains the current or a recent device location; the weather screen may update the displayed position. Background location permission is not requested. If you decline or revoke permission in device settings, you can still select map points or enter coordinates manually.
“My location” in route planning moves the map view without automatically changing the departure port. Celestial navigation coordinates are used for calculations on the device. Coordinates loaded into a noon report are stored on the server when you submit that report, as a work record associated with your account, vessel, and report time. Section 4’s retention rules and Section 9’s rights procedures apply.
When you request a forecast for a point selected on the map, its coordinates are sent to Bellbook’s server, rounded to a 0.25-degree grid, and used to retrieve and cache forecasts for up to six hours. The area coordinates are sent to NOAA’s NOMADS service in the United States when retrieving forecast data; Bellbook account identifiers are not attached to that request. Requested coordinates may appear in request URLs in access or error logs.
Maps use OpenFreeMap. Connections from your device to map servers may transmit your IP address and requested map area. See the OpenFreeMap privacy information.
Personal data is retained and used for the Customer Company’s service contract period. When the contract ends, it is returned or destroyed without delay at the Customer Company’s request, except where applicable law requires retention. The following separate periods apply:
The Operator does not separately disclose or sell personal data to third parties. Processing is entrusted or sub-entrusted as necessary to operate the Service under Sections 6 and 7. Exceptions apply when disclosure is required by law or requested by investigative authorities through legally prescribed procedures.
Website enquiries are stored in the service database and sent to an operator-only Telegram channel for staff review. Telegram stores these messages and attachments on its cloud servers. The database and channel records are deleted when the enquiry-processing purpose is fulfilled, except where retention is required by law.
| Provider | Processing |
|---|---|
| Amazon Web Services (AWS Lightsail) | Service servers and databases in the Seoul region, Republic of Korea. |
| Cloudflare, Inc. | Storage of attachments, including photographs and documents. |
| OpenAI | AI document reading, structuring, translation, chat, and imports through OpenAI. |
| Resend, Inc. | Account emails, including invitations and password resets. |
| Telegram | Delivery and storage of website enquiry notifications: company, contact name and reply email, enquiry type and content, optional vessel count, submission time and identifier. |
| Expo (650 Industries, Inc.) / Apple / Google | Mobile push notifications. |
| Functional Software, Inc. (Sentry) | Diagnosis of server, web, and mobile errors and failures when errors occur. |
Vessel location and particulars are obtained from external services, including aisstream.io and Korean Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries vessel and port-call data through the Public Data Portal. These exchanges use vessel identifiers such as MMSI, call sign, and IMO number, and do not transmit personal data.
Processing entrusted under Section 6 involves the following international transfers. Under Article 28-8 of PIPA, you may object to international transfers, but this may limit your use of the relevant feature.
| Recipient (country) | Data | Purpose | Timing, method, and retention |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloudflare, Inc. (United States) | User-uploaded attachments, including photographs and documents. | Attachment storage and delivery. | Transferred over the network on upload; retained until the processing agreement ends or the file is deleted. |
| OpenAI (United States) | Text and documents entered or sent when using AI: vessel certificates, inspection reports, maintenance and safety management documents, maintenance entry prompts, text for translation, and user-attached photos and documents in AI chat. Crew names, ranks, and summaries of certificate expiry and rest-hour violations may be sent to answer fleet queries. Imports may send portions of uploaded tables, including rank wage tables, for structural analysis. Personal data in material you enter or attach may also be processed. | AI assistance, including document reading, structuring, and translation. | Transferred over an encrypted network when the feature is used. Provider API policies do not use this data for model training by default. OpenAI retains abuse monitoring logs for up to 30 days by default. Responses API responses are retained for at least 30 days under the default storage settings. Legal obligations, safety investigations, the feature used, or a separate agreement may change retention conditions. Immediate deletion or zero retention is not guaranteed. |
| Resend, Inc. (United States) | Recipient email address and links that may contain a name. | Account email delivery. | At email delivery; retained for the delivery log retention period. |
| Expo / Apple / Google (United States) | Device push tokens and notification titles and content. | Mobile push notifications. | At notification delivery; processed for immediate delivery. |
| Functional Software, Inc. (Sentry, United States) | Server error diagnostics, including request path and HTTP method, pseudonymized user and company identifiers, and stack traces. Web and mobile errors include screen paths, app and device information (OS, model, app version), and stack traces. Error messages and diagnostic context, such as preceding navigation and network requests, may include request URLs or portions of data involved in an error. | Diagnosing and resolving service failures. | When errors occur; retained for the error log retention period. |
For provider-specific details, see OpenAI API data controls. If you do not use an AI feature, its input and attachments are not transmitted to AI providers. Contact the address in Section 11 for questions or objections to international transfers. See Section 3-4 for information sent to external map and weather services.
Personal data is destroyed without delay when the retention period expires or the processing purpose is fulfilled. Electronic files are deleted using methods that prevent recovery; paper records and printouts are shredded or incinerated.
Data subjects, including crew members, may request access, correction, deletion, or suspension of processing. Because the Service processes personal data on behalf of Customer Companies, you may submit requests through your Customer Company or directly to the data protection contact below. The Operator will act without delay.
To request deletion of your Bellbook account or related personal data, contact your company administrator or email contact@bellbook.net with the subject “Bellbook account deletion.” You do not need to sign in to make a request. Include your account identifier, company, and whether you want the entire account or specific information deleted. Do not email passwords, resident registration numbers, or identity document copies.
The Operator will verify only the minimum information needed to confirm your identity and coordinate with the Customer Company regarding company-managed work records. We will explain what will be deleted, what must be retained for legal obligations or legitimate purposes such as security or dispute resolution, the reasons and periods for retention, and the outcome of your request. Account deactivation and personal data deletion are different. Access to retained records is limited as necessary, and they are destroyed when the applicable retention period ends (Sections 4 and 8).
The Operator does not make automated decisions as defined by Article 37-2 of PIPA. AI assistance reads documents, prepares drafts, or organizes proposed work. Decisions recorded in the Service, including approvals, rejections, and status changes, are executed only after an authorized person confirms them. AI does not independently modify records or finalize decisions.
| Name | 서현진 (Seo Hyun-jin) |
|---|---|
| contact@bellbook.net |
You may also contact the following Korean organizations for privacy complaints or advice. Telephone numbers below are domestic Korean numbers.
Changes to this policy will be announced in the Service at least seven days before they take effect.
Privacy inquiries are accepted in Korean and English. 한국어 개인정보처리방침