The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety found 219 online posts illegally advertising or selling food and drug products with exaggerated claims such as “height growth” and “growth injection,” the ministry said on Wednesday.
The ministry conducted the investigation in response to a recent surge in demand for height-related products among teenagers and their parents.
Of the identified posts, 153 promoted or sold food or health supplements with misleading advertisements. Authorities found that 122 of those posts, or 79.7 percent, advertised general foods in a way that could be confused with certified health supplements. Another 16 posts, or 10.5 percent, falsely claimed unapproved functionalities such as “height growth.”
Eight posts, or 5.2 percent, described food products in a way that could mislead consumers into thinking they were pharmaceutical products. Six posts, or 3.9 percent, claimed the products could prevent or treat medical conditions such as precocious puberty. One post also used a consumer's testimony in a deceptive way.
Officials also uncovered 66 additional posts that either sold or promoted the illegal sale of pharmaceuticals such as human growth hormone products.
The ministry requested that local authorities block access to the offending posts and take administrative action.
“When purchasing health supplements online, consumers must check for the official health supplement certification mark and verify the product's functionality as stated on the label,” a ministry official said.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
'">
'">
'">
