Failure to Label 'Advertisement·Sponsorship' on Promotional Blogs May Result in Penalties

Effective from the 1st of next month
Mandatory disclosure of interests for marketing through purchase links

Starting next month, when posting articles online as advertisements or sponsored content, it must be indicated at the beginning of the content, such as in the title.

Famous bloggers and other influencers must include a disclosure statement at the beginning of the title or main text when they receive money or goods from advertisers and write promotional reviews on platforms such as blogs or internet cafes. Photo by Getty Images

The Korea Fair Trade Commission will implement the "Guidelines for Review of Indications and Advertisements Regarding Recommendations and Endorsements" containing these provisions from the 1st of next month. According to these guidelines, influencers such as famous bloggers who receive money or goods from advertisers and write promotional reviews on platforms like blogs or internet cafes must include a disclosure statement informing this fact at the beginning of the title or the main text. When including the disclosure statement, the title length should be appropriately adjusted, and the font size or color should be different from the main text.

The current guidelines require disclosure at the beginning or end of the post. There have been criticisms that if the author places the advertisement disclosure at the end, it is difficult for readers to recognize the promotional nature of the post without reading it fully.

Yonhap News

In the future, marketing that conditionally receives economic benefits?such as commissions based on sales performance through purchase links without prior payment for product reviews, or reimbursement of purchase costs after writing reviews?is also expected to become difficult. This is because such marketing cases are included in the "examples of cases where economic interests affect the credibility of recommendations or endorsements," requiring disclosure of economic interests.

Additionally, the Fair Trade Commission specified in the guidelines that conditional or uncertain expressions like "may receive a certain commission" imply that it may not be an advertisement and thus are not appropriate disclosure statements.

Failure to comply with the new guidelines may result in punishment under the Act on Labeling and Advertising. However, posts written before the 1st of next month will not be applied retroactively.