Editor’s Note
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has cracked down on health and beauty products featuring celebrity endorsements from singer Soyou and comedian Hong Hyeon-hee for false or exaggerated advertising. Authorities have requested website access blocks and will pursue administrative penalties, including business suspensions or fines.
The government has taken action against health and beauty products that used celebrity endorsements to make false or exaggerated advertisements. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (hereinafter referred to as the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety) confirmed on the 22nd that it had ruled certain health and beauty products, for which singer Soyou, 34 years old, and comedian Hong Hyeon-hee, 44 years old, serve as exclusive models, as “false or exaggeratedly advertised products.” The ministry requested the Korea Media and Communications Standards Commission to block access to the sales websites of the two products and plans to notify relevant local governments. Local governments will review the cases and impose administrative measures such as business suspensions or fines. While there have been numerous criticisms of false or exaggerated advertisements for health and beauty products featuring celebrities, thorough government investigations have been rare. The ministry is also reviewing other “celebrity-endorsed beauty products,” raising speculation that large-scale sanctions may follow.
According to an investigation by this newspaper, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety recently ruled that a diet supplement sold by healthcare company Jet Shop made false or exaggerated claims about its efficacy. The product, endorsed by Soyou and popularly known as the “Soyou Diet Supplement” on online shopping malls and social media, was criticized for advertising itself as a “Complete Body Fat Elimination Dietary Supplement.” The ministry deemed this a false or exaggerated claim, as the product promoted uncertified efficacy as if it were factual. A source from the company told this newspaper,
Singer Soyou (left) and comedian Hong Hyeon-hee promote health and beauty products as exclusive models in an advertisement.
The calf massager (made in China) from Balance Fit, a health product brand endorsed by Hong Hyeon-hee and nicknamed the “Hong Hyeon-hee Massager,” has over 6,000 reviews on Naver Smart Store. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety ruled that promoting it as a product that “improves blood circulation to reduce calf fatigue and swelling” constituted false or exaggerated advertising. As a general commodity, not a certified medical device, the product cannot advertise blood circulation benefits or claims related to treating specific conditions.
