The National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service reported on August 17 that it has identified a total of 163 cases of false and exaggerated advertising, as well as violations of labeling regulations, during a special inspection of major online platforms such as Naver, Coupang, and YouTube.
The inspections, conducted from April to July, focused on companies selling fertilizers through major e-commerce platforms and YouTube. The agency scrutinized whether advertisements misled consumers into confusing fertilizers with pesticides or growth regulators and whether legal labeling requirements were properly met.
The most common violations included advertisements that misled consumers into thinking fertilizers promoted root growth or increased sweetness, followed by ads that could confuse consumers regarding disease prevention and pest control. Additionally, many cases involved missing labeling information or the use of vague expressions like 'best' or '100%' without objective evidence.
The inspection also highlighted exaggerated advertising on YouTube. The agency reported the relevant videos to the platform's operators, leading to the removal and blocking of sales links, and plans to request enhanced self-monitoring from the platform in the future.
In collaboration with the Korea Online Shopping Association, the agency has guided online sellers to mandatorily post labeling information for fertilizers. Furthermore, it plans to gradually increase the current annual quality inspection volume of online fertilizers, which stands at about 50 cases, to enhance quality control effectiveness.
Kim Cheol, the head of the National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service, stated, "We will strengthen guidance and promotion to prevent consumers from being harmed by exaggerated advertising when purchasing fertilizers online," and urged the industry to actively participate in eradicating false advertising to establish proper distribution order.
The inspections, conducted from April to July, focused on companies selling fertilizers through major e-commerce platforms and YouTube. The agency scrutinized whether advertisements misled consumers into confusing fertilizers with pesticides or growth regulators and whether legal labeling requirements were properly met.
The most common violations included advertisements that misled consumers into thinking fertilizers promoted root growth or increased sweetness, followed by ads that could confuse consumers regarding disease prevention and pest control. Additionally, many cases involved missing labeling information or the use of vague expressions like 'best' or '100%' without objective evidence.
The inspection also highlighted exaggerated advertising on YouTube. The agency reported the relevant videos to the platform's operators, leading to the removal and blocking of sales links, and plans to request enhanced self-monitoring from the platform in the future.
In collaboration with the Korea Online Shopping Association, the agency has guided online sellers to mandatorily post labeling information for fertilizers. Furthermore, it plans to gradually increase the current annual quality inspection volume of online fertilizers, which stands at about 50 cases, to enhance quality control effectiveness.
Kim Cheol, the head of the National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service, stated, "We will strengthen guidance and promotion to prevent consumers from being harmed by exaggerated advertising when purchasing fertilizers online," and urged the industry to actively participate in eradicating false advertising to establish proper distribution order.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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