168 Violations Detected in Online Marketplace Monitoring for Q1
Majority Involve Misleading Eco-Friendly and Medical Efficacy Claims
The Korea Consumer Agency announced on April 30, 2025, that it had completed corrective measures such as revising or deleting advertisements after detecting a total of 168 violations through monitoring of online labeling and advertising, including those on seven major open markets and community platforms during the first quarter of this year.
By product category, "household chemical products" such as disinfectants, cleaners, and air fresheners accounted for the largest share at 25% (42 cases), followed by "cosmetics" at 19% (32 cases), "clothing, textiles, and personal accessories" such as bedding, mats, and bracelets at 14.3% (24 cases), and "household goods" at 13.7% (23 cases).
By type of violation, "misleading eco-friendly claims," such as advertising products as eco-friendly without substantiation, accounted for the largest share at 57.7% (97 cases), followed by "misleading claims of medical efficacy," such as claiming medical benefits for products that are not pharmaceuticals or medical devices, at 28.6% (48 cases).
According to Article 3 of the Act on Fair Labeling and Advertising and related guidelines, when using environmental expressions such as "eco-friendly" or "non-toxic," the scope must be clearly defined and substantiated with objective evidence.
An analysis of unfair advertising types by product category showed that for "household chemical products" such as cleaners, laundry detergents, and air fresheners, 85.7% (36 out of 42 cases) involved "misleading eco-friendly claims," making up the majority.
Article 34 of the Chemical Products Safety Act completely prohibits environmental expressions such as "non-toxic" or "environmentally friendly" for "household chemical products subject to safety confirmation" to prevent misunderstandings regarding negative impacts on human or animal health and the environment. Businesses must exercise caution in advertising when selling such products. In the "clothing, textiles, and personal accessories" category, 50% (12 out of 24 cases) were also related to "misleading eco-friendly claims."
For "cosmetics," "misleading claims of medical efficacy," such as labeling that could cause products to be mistaken for pharmaceuticals, or labeling non-functional cosmetics as functional, accounted for 87.5% (28 out of 32 cases). The Act on Fair Labeling and Advertising, the Cosmetics Act, and the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act prohibit claims of medical efficacy, such as "fat breakdown" or "diet," for products that are not pharmaceuticals or medical devices. In addition, products that are not functional cosmetics must not be labeled or advertised in a way that could be mistaken for functional cosmetics, such as "improving freckles and blemishes" or "alleviating hair loss symptoms."
In addition, for "household goods" such as home appliances and beauty devices, "false, exaggerated, or unfair comparative performance claims" accounted for 52.2% (12 out of 23 cases). The Korea Consumer Agency advised consumers to check relevant information, such as whether a product is a pharmaceutical or functional cosmetic, through the Drug Safety Korea platform when purchasing products, and to be cautious not to be misled by eco-friendly labels on household chemical products such as cleaners, laundry detergents, and air fresheners used in everyday living spaces.
Separately, the agency added that it plans to increase awareness and compliance with regulations among businesses through education and other initiatives, and to work towards creating a safe and trustworthy marketplace for consumers by preventing unfair advertising in advance through continuous monitoring.
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