South Korea will prohibit AI fake-doctor advertising that recommends or endorses specific medical devices beginning December 10. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced a proposed amendment aimed at synthetic audio, images and video that are difficult to distinguish from a real expert and can mislead consumers.
The central issue is not generative technology alone. It is the false presentation of professional recommendation or product use. A virtual person who looks or sounds like a real physician can create the impression that a qualified expert has evaluated the device.
Violations may lead to up to three years in prison or a fine of up to KRW 30 million. The amendment also clarifies procedures for emergency-introduction devices, participation in clinical trials and advance review of medical-device classification.
Marketers should go beyond labeling a person as AI-generated. They need to verify whether the endorser and the evidence behind each recommendation actually exist. Naver's Mandatory AI Disclosure: A Compliance Guide for Sellers covers a broader disclosure workflow, but a disclosure alone may not cure a false medical endorsement.
Approval checklists should record whether a person or voice is synthetic, how professional credentials are presented and what supports every recommendation. Existing assets also need review. Legal teams should assess whether consumers could mistake a model, influencer or virtual character for a genuine medical professional.
The key issue is whether the ad falsely presents an expert recommendation or use and misleads consumers. Specific creative should be reviewed against the final rule.
The source reports penalties of up to three years in prison or a fine of up to KRW 30 million.
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