Digital Undertakers: Korea's Unique Industry for Erasing Your Online Past

Once something is on the internet, it stays forever — or so the saying goes. But in South Korea, an entire industry exists to challenge that notion. They're called digital undertakers (디지털 장의사), and their job is to make your unwanted online presence disappear.

What Is a Digital Undertaker?

A digital undertaker is an online reputation management specialist who finds and removes unwanted personal information, defamatory posts, leaked photos, and outdated news articles from the internet. Just as a funeral director handles someone's final arrangements, a digital undertaker cleans up your digital afterlife.

Services and Costs

Common Services

Cost Structure

Costs range from ₩50,000 to ₩30,000,000 ($35 to $21,000 USD) depending on complexity. Leading companies like TopLogic have won 4 consecutive industry awards and some operate on a success-fee basis.

Legal Framework

Information and Communications Network Act

Korea's Information and Communications Network Act (정보통신망법) provides the legal basis for requesting deletion of content that defames or invades someone's privacy. Platform operators are legally required to respond to valid deletion requests.

Right to Be Forgotten

The right to be forgotten (잊힐 권리) is gaining increasing legal recognition in Korea. Since 2025, amendments to the Personal Information Protection Act have strengthened deletion request rights against search engines.

What Cannot Be Removed

Not all content can be deleted:

• Information in the public interest (crime-related articles)
• Court-ordered public disclosures
• Information you publicly shared yourself (limited cases)
• Press coverage protected by freedom of the press

The Digital Undertaker Process

1. Consultation — Identify target content for removal
2. Legal review — Analyze deletion feasibility under law
3. Deletion requests — Submit platform-specific removal requests
4. Monitoring — Verify deletion and watch for re-posting
5. Follow-up — Track search results over time

DIY Removal Attempts

Before hiring a digital undertaker, you can try these steps yourself:

• Google: Submit a legal removal request at support.google.com/legal
• Social media: Use each platform's reporting/flagging system
• Forums: Contact site administrators directly
• News sites: Request updates or removal through editorial contacts

Sharing Sensitive Evidence Securely

When hiring a digital undertaker, you need to share sensitive materials — problematic URLs, screenshots, identity verification documents. Sending these via iMessage or email creates yet another potential leak vector.

LOCK.PUB's encrypted memo feature lets you package deletion target URLs and evidence into a password-protected memo for secure handoff. Set an expiration time so access is automatically revoked after the undertaker has received the information.

Prevention Is Better Than Cure

The best digital undertaker is the one you never need. Practice good online hygiene:

1. Check for personal info exposure before posting on social media
2. Minimize use of your real name online
3. Regularly search your own name to monitor your digital footprint
4. Clean up old accounts and posts periodically
5. Use encryption tools like LOCK.PUB when sharing sensitive information

Conclusion

Digital undertakers are a uniquely Korean phenomenon, but online privacy is a universal concern. While removing information already spread online is important, it's even wiser to prevent sensitive data from leaking in the first place — using secure sharing tools like LOCK.PUB for any confidential communications.