In the past five years, more than 12,000 unfair cosmetic ads that misled consumers like drugs with phrases such as "skin regeneration" and "inflammation relief" were caught.
According to data submitted by Seo Young-seok of the Democratic Party of Korea, a member of the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee, from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, from 2021 through September this year the number of unfair cosmetic ads uncovered totaled 12,617.
By year, there were 1,913 cases in 2021, 2,453 in 2022, 3,090 in 2023, and 2,680 in 2024, an increase of more than 40% in three years. This year alone, 2,481 cases have already been detected, making it likely to surpass last year.
The most common type was "advertising mistaken as a drug." Of the 12,617 cases in total, 8,727 (69%) touted drug-like efficacy such as skin regeneration, inflammation relief, and acne improvement. There were also not a few cases that emphasized wrinkle improvement or whitening effects, causing ordinary cosmetics to be mistaken for "functional products."
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said, "There are cases where posts are repeatedly uploaded from the same account even after site blocking," and noted, "We are conducting on-site inspections and additional administrative measures for such habitual violator accounts." In fact, in the case of one cosmetic brand, it repeatedly posted the phrase "inflammation relief" and was reported to have been subject to site blocking and administrative action.
Cosmetic ads combined with the currently trending microneedle (MTS) devices were also newly detected. With expressions such as "injection into the skin" and "maximized absorption rate," they implied effects at the level of medical devices or emphasized procedure effects beyond the scope of cosmetic use.
As a result of the ministry's review of online sales posts this year, there were 83 cases violating the Cosmetics Act. By platform, 62 on Naver Shopping, 4 on Coupang, 2 on 11Street, 1 on Gmarket/Auction under eBay Korea, and 14 on general shopping malls were caught.
Advertisers ranged from sellers to responsible sellers, influencers, and social media (SNS) accounts. Many of them used phrases such as "skin regeneration," "inflammation suppression," and "acne improvement," advertising them as if they were drugs.
In the past three years, a total of 35 responsible sellers were caught for such false or exaggerated ads. Some of them were repeatedly caught for the same type. Ten companies are currently undergoing administrative dispositions, and 25 are being inspected by local offices of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. Well-known domestic and foreign brands such as Aisome Korea, Swanicoco, Innertide, and ID Placosmetics were among those caught.
Seo Young-seok said, "Strong sanctions such as raising fines and suspending operations are needed for companies repeatedly caught," and added, "Unfair cosmetic advertising goes beyond simple confusion and can pose risks to public health like drug misuse, so the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety should work with the Korea Communications Standards Commission and the Fair Trade Commission to build a real-time monitoring system."