South Korea establishes ban on AI fake-expert ads and expands drug supply powers
South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety won passage of five legal amendments, including a ban on AI-generated fake-expert ads for health products. The changes also expand state powers over essential drug supply and speed narcotics controls.
South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has established a legal basis to ban ads in which a person posing as a doctor or other expert recommends food, cosmetics, drugs, or quasi-drugs by using artificial intelligence technology. The ministry said on the 24th that five amendments to laws under its jurisdiction, including the Act on Labeling and Advertising of Foods, passed the National Assembly's plenary session.
As generative AI technology has advanced rapidly in recent years, video and audio content synthesizing the image of a person who does not actually exist or the voice of a real expert is being produced with ease. Concerns have been raised that when such technology is used in advertising for medical and health-related products, consumers are highly likely to mistake it for professional advice.
With this revision, deceptive advertising practices using AI technology are included among prohibited acts. The regulatory scope now extends beyond simple exaggerated advertising to methods that manipulate the very image of appearing to be an expert to induce trust, reducing institutional blind spots. The ministry said the revision establishes a preemptive response system for AI-based false and exaggerated advertising.
With the amendment to the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act, the ministry has secured a basis to place domestic custom manufacturing orders for, or urgently introduce from overseas, national essential medicines and the like. This strengthens accountability so the state can directly manage the stable supply of medicines needed to maintain the health care system.
The Act on the Control of Narcotics, etc. was also revised. Investigative techniques such as confidential identity investigations and undercover identity investigations for narcotics crimes have been introduced, and the advance notice period for designating temporary narcotics has been shortened from one month to 14 days to speed up the response.
A ministry official said it would continue to refine laws on false and exaggerated advertising and risk factors in line with the rapidly changing environment, placing the highest value on public safety.