South Korea regulator finds AI-generated images in deceptive diet product ads
South Korea's food and drug regulator identified 26 companies using AI-generated images and social media videos to falsely advertise diet products as having disease-prevention or weight-loss effects. The companies sold approximately 600,000 units generating 11.5 billion won, with some products marked up from 2,000 won to 60,000 won per unit.
What happened
Twenty-six companies in South Korea used AI-generated images and social media short-form videos to advertise diet products including 'Olleshot' and 'edible Ozempic', falsely claiming they prevent disease, function as health supplements, or produce weight loss effects comparable to prescription medications.
Some companies created short videos featuring celebrity endorsers or pharmacists recommending products, using AI-generated images and body tissue images to suggest effects such as appetite suppression and fat blocking. Videos with claims like 'rapid weight loss in short periods', 'fat expulsion', and 'a body that won't gain weight' appeared on Facebook and YouTube but were deleted or stripped of violation-level language on the linked online shopping pages to evade enforcement.
Reported impact
The 26 companies sold approximately 600,000 units of 30 products through false and exaggerated advertising, generating 11.5 billion won (approximately USD 8.9 million) in sales. One company purchased products at 2,000 won per unit and sold them for 60,000 won, generating 2.096 billion won in revenue.
Index analysis
Of the 30 products advertised, only 8 were licensed as health functional foods; the remaining 22 were ordinary foods. The companies appeared to exploit SNS short-form video characteristics—rapid exposure and deletion—to avoid the continuous monitoring applied to online shopping mall pages.
Governance controls
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety requested administrative penalties and filed criminal charges against all 26 companies. Violators face business suspension or corrective orders under the Act on Labeling and Advertising of Foods and Drugs.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
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