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Food Ministry refers 16 sellers for criminal investigation over 'fake doctor' ads

Published: 15 Dec. 2025, 16:47 Updated: 15 Dec. 2025, 18:29

Advertisements featuring AI-generated doctors are displayed on social media. [MINISTRY OF FOOD AND DRUG SAFETY]

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has taken action after uncovering food advertisements that feature "fake doctors” created using AI or mislead consumers into believing ordinary foods have medicinal effects.

The ministry said on Monday that it requested administrative penalties from relevant authorities and referred 16 food sellers for criminal investigation for violating the Act on Labeling and Advertising of Foods. Access to the offending online posts has also been blocked.

From Oct. 28 to Dec. 12, the ministry monitored online shopping malls and social media for illegal food advertising and conducted on-site inspections of the companies involved.

The investigation found that 12 companies used AI-generated expert videos and similar content to promote their products through misleading advertisements, selling food products worth approximately 8.4 billion won ($5.7 million).

Five companies advertised their products as having disease prevention or treatment effects, using claims such as “complete cure for cystitis” and “possible recovery from prostate enlargement.”

Three companies promoted ordinary foods in a way that could mislead consumers into thinking they were pharmaceuticals or health functional foods, with phrases such as “works like Wegovy” and “melts inflammatory fat first.”

Four companies were cited for false or exaggerated claims, including “boosts the body’s cellular self-recovery ability” and “clears up skin.”

In addition, four companies were found to have improperly advertised ordinary foods as being able to imitate pharmaceutical products, selling food products worth about 3 billion won. These included products with names similar to the obesity drug Wegovy that claimed to “stimulate GLP-1,” as well as products resembling attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication Concerta that claimed to “increase concentration” and “activate the brain.”

The MFDS warned that the products cited are ordinary foods that have not been approved as pharmaceuticals or have treatment effects, and that consumers should be cautious not to be misled by false or exaggerated advertising claims.

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.
BY KIM EUN-BIN [[email protected]]