Terms of Service
The Korean version is the original. If the two differ, the Korean version prevails to the extent permitted by the law of your country.
1. About these terms
These terms govern your use of the MARU app and web service (the "Service") provided by 외눈박이 원숭이 연구소 (Oenunbagi Wonsungi Yeonguso) (representative: Sangyun Lee) ("we").
2. Words we use
- Sky: a place in the Service. Its landscape follows that place's real local time and weather.
- Maru: a room where up to 40 people sit together under one sky. Plaza: where you sit in a maru, and its public chat.
- Your content: what you post — nickname, chat, 1:1 messages, wishes, notes, constellation names.
- Items: digital accessories that change how your character looks. Sky parcel: a box containing one random item.
3. Accepting and changing these terms
By using the Service you follow these terms, and you accept them when you first use a feature that needs an account (such as chat). We may change them within the law and will announce changes in the app and on this page 7 days in advance (30 days for changes less favourable to you). If you don't agree, you can stop using the Service and delete your account.
4. Age
- You must be 14 or older. We check your birth year and month on first visit; under 14 you cannot use the Service.
- Under 18, some features are limited for your protection (1:1 talk with friends only, no paid random parcels, wishes are read-and-cheer only, non-personalised ads).
- Don't enter a false age. If we learn it is false we may limit or delete the account.
5. Accounts
- You can start without signing up, as a guest (anonymous account). Guest data cannot be recovered if you uninstall the app or change device.
- Sending chat, 1:1 talk, friends and purchases require signing in with Apple or Google. Your guest name, looks and collection carry over.
- You may not transfer, sell or buy accounts.
- You can delete your account any time in Menu > Settings & Help > Delete account and data. Deleted accounts and items cannot be restored (Account deletion).
6. The Service
We provide landscapes that follow real weather and time, sitting together, chat and translation, gestures, character dressing-up, weather postcards, a photo album, shared lanterns, wishes, notes and constellations. Features may change, be added or end.
7. Community rules
So everyone can sit quietly, don't do the following — in chat, 1:1 talk, nicknames, wishes, notes or constellation names:
- harass, bully, threaten, or encourage violence;
- post hate based on race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability or similar;
- post sexual content or make sexual advances. Any sexualisation of children or teens is zero-tolerance: permanent ban and a report to the authorities;
- encourage self-harm or suicide or describe methods;
- share contact details or personal information (phone, e-mail, messenger IDs, address, school, social accounts) — yours or anyone else's;
- ask for money, gifts, bank details or donations, scam, promote investments, or lure people to other services;
- spam, advertise, repeat messages, or use bots;
- impersonate others or the operator;
- post illegal content or infringe copyrights or trademarks;
- tamper with the Service, exploit bugs, or disrupt our servers.
If you are in crisis, please reach out: Korea 109 (suicide prevention), 112 / 119 (emergency). Elsewhere: findahelpline.com.
8. Moderation, sanctions and appeals
- Automatic filter: our server checks every chat message. Blocked words are masked with ● and recorded as a warning; 3 warnings automatically mean no chat for 24 hours (reading and gestures still work).
- Flood limits: sending speed, daily totals (300 plaza · 300 1:1) and repeated messages are limited.
- Reports and human review: tap a character or name to report or block. Child safety, self-harm and threat reports are checked right away. We may dismiss, warn, mute (24 hours or 7 days), remove content or ban permanently.
- Notice: when we act, we tell you what, why (which rule above), how (automatic filter or human review) and until when.
- Appeal: use [Appeal] in the notice or contact us; a person reviews it again and tells you the result. Automatic mutes can be appealed too.
- Reporters are told the outcome. We may alert authorities about imminent danger to life or safety, or child sexual abuse material.
9. Your content
- You keep the rights to your content.
- You give us a free, non-exclusive permission to store, transmit, display, translate (on-device and machine translation) and review your content only as needed to run the Service. We do not use your content in advertising or marketing, or sell it. This permission ends when the content is deleted or its retention period ends (report records: until their legal retention ends).
- You are responsible for what you post and must not infringe others' rights.
- Chat is kept for the period stated in the Privacy Policy and used for automatic checks and report review.
10. Paid features
- Paid products: dressing-up items, "Clear Sky" (removes ads, adds 12 scarf colours, photos without the MARU mark), "support the maker" (a digital item: a firefly effect), and sky parcels.
- All items are cosmetic only. They give no ability or advantage. Weather postcards and shared lanterns are never sold.
- Payments go through the App Store or Google Play (a separate method on the web) under their policies. Prices are shown in your local currency by the store.
- Items and stardust stay with the account that obtained them, cannot be transferred or exchanged for money, and have no monetary value. Stardust cannot be bought.
- Sky parcels are randomised items (loot boxes). Odds by tier and item are always shown on the purchase screen and on the odds page. Paid parcels are not sold at launch; only free parcels earned by sitting exist. If sold later, only to users 18+ in store countries where it is allowed.
11. Withdrawal and refunds
- You can withdraw from a purchase within 7 days.
- Under Korea's E-Commerce Consumer Protection Act (Art. 17(2)), withdrawal may be limited for items you have worn or applied, opened parcels, support products delivered immediately, and Clear Sky once applied; we show this next to the purchase button beforehand. Unopened paid parcels can be refunded within 7 days of purchase. Consumers in the EU/UK keep their statutory rights for digital content.
- Refunds are requested through the store you bought from (App Store or Google Play). Refunded items, parcels, stardust or effects are removed.
- A minor who paid without a guardian's consent, or the guardian, may cancel the purchase.
- If you didn't receive a product or can't use it because of our fault, we re-deliver it or refund you.
- Clear Sky can be restored with [Restore purchases] on the same store account.
12. Ads
Free users see banner ads at the top and bottom of the screen. We are not responsible for ad content or advertisers' products.
13. AI-generated landscapes
The landscape pictures were made with generative AI (Google Gemini) and then edited by a person. They may differ from the real place. Photos and postcards saved or shared outside the app carry an "AI-generated landscape" mark. Please don't remove it to pass them off as real photos.
14. Weather information
- Weather in the Service is for ambience and information only. Forecasts are provided by OpenWeather; weather alerts are shown exactly as issued by each country's national weather agency (agency, time, title). We do not make our own forecasts or warnings.
- Weather may be a few minutes late or differ from reality. For safety decisions, check official sources such as your national weather agency.
- Cherry-blossom and autumn-colour timing is based on long-term averages, not real forecasts.
15. Changes, interruptions and ending the Service
We may change features, places and items. The Service may pause for maintenance, outages or force majeure. If we end the Service we will give 30 days' notice and handle remaining paid products under the law and store policies.
16. Limitation of liability
We are not liable for loss caused by force majeure, your device or network, your own fault, or other users' actions, except loss caused by our intent or gross negligence, or liability that cannot be limited by law.
17. Governing law
These terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of Korea, and disputes go to the competent court under the Korean Civil Procedure Act. Mandatory consumer protection rules of your country of residence still apply where they give you more protection.
Change history
When these terms change, the effective date and what changed are recorded here. Earlier versions are available on request.
- 21 October 2026 — first draft
Operator and contact
Business name 외눈박이 원숭이 연구소 (Oenunbagi Wonsungi Yeonguso) · Representative Sangyun Lee · Address 403, Building 104, 99 Obuja-ro, Deogyang-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea · Business registration number 681-26-02199 · Mail-order business number 2026-Goyang Deogyang-gu-2365 · Phone +82-10-9426-9289
E-mail: tssu106@gmail.com