Plastic Surgery Clinics Caught Posting Deceptive 'Backdoor' Ads Disguised as Genuine Reviews

Three plastic surgery clinics located in Gangnam and Seocho, Seoul, have been sanctioned by the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) for posting advertisements that were disguised as genuine customer reviews.

The KFTC announced today (July 12) that it has decided to issue corrective orders to View Plastic Surgery, AB Plastic Surgery, and DA Plastic Surgery for violating the Act on Fair Labeling and Advertising.

For View Plastic Surgery, the KFTC also issued an additional order to publish a notice on its website acknowledging the violation of the act.

The investigation revealed that these three clinics, which frequently appear in search results on major portal sites, had engaged in deceptive practices from 2018 until the end of May this year. They provided promotional models with discounts on surgery costs in exchange for posting pre-consultation and post-surgery reviews without disclosing that these posts were advertisements.

Furthermore, the three clinics collected and edited the post-surgery reviews written by these models into single posts, which were then uploaded to their respective websites without any indication that they were advertisements.

It was found that the three clinics systematically managed their promotional models to facilitate these review-based advertisements.

The clinics selected models through processes such as document screening on their websites and signed advertising contracts that included requirements for providing post-surgery reviews.

The investigation revealed that the clinics used KakaoTalk accounts to manage the models in real-time, instructing them to write reviews on medical beauty applications and internet forums periodically throughout the contract period, from pre-surgery consultations to post-surgery recovery.

The clinics even specified the required length of the reviews and made the inclusion of before-and-after photos mandatory.

The KFTC determined that these advertising practices constitute deceptive labeling and advertising, as they mislead consumers into believing the reviews were written voluntarily.

To prevent similar cases from recurring, the KFTC held a meeting with the Korean Association of Plastic Surgeons and the Korean Medical Association on June 11, urging them to comply with relevant laws.

In addition, the KFTC shared the facts regarding medical law violations discovered during the investigation with the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the relevant authority, and requested that necessary measures be taken.

The KFTC stated that it plans to continue monitoring diverse marketing channels, including social media and online platforms, to keep a close watch on unfair advertising practices that deceive consumers and hinder rational decision-making.

(Photo: Provided by KFTC, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.