[Sportschosun Jo Min-jeong reporter] Health and beauty advertisements featuring well-known celebrities such as Jang Na-ra, Eugene, Jang Young-ran, and Seo Jeong-hee were included in a crackdown by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on false and exaggerated claims. From facial "lifting" to diet slogans claiming that "the stomach gets smaller," expressions that suggested medical effects were found to be problematic.
According to The Chosun Ilbo on the 6th, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety recently inspected companies that promoted health and beauty products using famous celebrities and uncovered numerous cases of false and exaggerated advertising. For the products in question, the ministry plans to ask the Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC) to block access to sales websites and will request administrative action from the relevant local governments. Local governments may consider measures such as business suspension or fines.
The products flagged in this crackdown included items modeled or advertised by Jang Young-ran, actress Seo Jeong-hee, Jang Na-ra, and Eugene.
In particular, a diet health functional food manufactured by a company headed by Jang Young-ran was criticized for being promoted as if it had medical benefits. Although the product is a regular health functional food, it was advertised on social networking service platforms and online with phrases such as "the stomach gets smaller, so binge eating is impossible," creating the impression of an effect similar to surgery. Attention is now turning to whether Jang Young-ran will issue a statement, given her direct involvement in promoting the product.
The premium product from a facial massager brand for which Eugene serves as an exclusive model was also included in the crackdown. Investigators found that the advertisement used the term "lifting" even though it is not a medical device, and that it had improperly used a government medical device certification mark.
A facial massager advertised by Jang Na-ra was also found to have violated related rules by using the phrase "facial skin lifting," which made it appear as though the product had medical device certification. An olive oil product modeled by Seo Jeong-hee was criticized for advertising with the claim that it "helps slow aging," which could lead consumers to mistake it for a pharmaceutical product.
The ministry says health functional foods and ordinary consumer goods cannot be advertised in ways that imply disease prevention or treatment effects like those of medical devices or pharmaceuticals, or that claim benefits similar to medical procedures. Expressions that may cause consumers to misunderstand the nature of a product can also constitute violations of relevant laws.
Meanwhile, this is not the first controversy over false advertising for health and beauty products featuring celebrity models. Earlier, health and beauty products promoted with singer Soyou and broadcaster Hong Hyun-hee as models were also sanctioned by the ministry for false and exaggerated advertising. Following this latest crackdown, oversight and verification of health and beauty advertisements using celebrities are expected to become even stricter.
Jo Min-jeong, mj.cho@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
