Three plastic surgery clinics sanctioned for hiding paid reviews

Three plastic surgery clinics have been caught by the Korea Fair Trade Commission for passing off reviews written by paid promotional models — recruited with offers such as surgical fee discounts — as spontaneous testimonials from ordinary patients.

The Fair Trade Commission said Sunday it had issued corrective orders against three Gangnam-area clinics in Seoul — View Plastic Surgery, AB Plastic Surgery Clinic and DA Plastic Surgery — for violating the Act on Fair Labeling and Advertising.

View Plastic Surgery was also ordered to post a public notice of its violation on its website.

According to the commission's probe, the three clinics recruited promotional models through their websites from around 2018 through May this year, offering compensation such as discounts on surgical fees in exchange for writing pre-consultation and post-surgery reviews on medical beauty apps and internet cafes. None of the posts disclosed the financial relationship between the writers and the clinics.

When the clinics reposted those reviews on their own websites, they again omitted any mention that the writers had received compensation, leading consumers to believe the posts were voluntary accounts from actual patients.

The clinics managed their review advertising systematically. After selecting promotional models through their websites and signing advertising contracts, they used KakaoTalk to direct models to write reviews at regular intervals throughout the contract period — from pre-surgery consultations through post-operative recovery.

The clinics specified requirements such as minimum word counts and before-and-after photos, while instructing models not to disclose that they had received compensation.

The commission said that because post-surgery reviews are a key factor in consumers' choice of plastic surgeon, whether a reviewer was paid is material information that affects purchasing decisions.

It ruled that advertising while concealing such compensation constitutes deceptive labeling and advertising that could mislead consumers, and risks undermining fair trade by interfering with consumers' ability to make rational purchasing decisions.

The commission shared suspected medical law violations uncovered during the investigation with the Ministry of Health and Welfare and requested that it take necessary action. In June, it held meetings with the Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons and the Korean Medical Association to explain labeling and advertising regulations, share examples of violations and urge compliance as part of broader efforts to prevent recurrence.

"This case makes clear that even a review written by someone who actually underwent surgery constitutes deceptive advertising if the fact that compensation was received is not disclosed," a commission official said. "We will continue to monitor a wide range of marketing channels — including social media and online platforms — on an ongoing basis, and will strictly impose sanctions on any deceptive advertising that harms consumers."