Thinking It Was a Surgery Review... KCPCA Imposes Sanctions on Plastic Surgery Clinics for 'Back Advertising'

Plastic surgery clinics in South Korea faced sanctions from the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) for posting paid patient reviews without disclosing financial incentives. The clinics used models, required photo submissions, and managed communication via KakaoTalk. The KFTC ordered corrections and public disclosure, citing concerns that paid reviews could mislead consumers by appearing spontaneous. Investigations revealed clinics from 2018 to May 2023 systematically collected reviews through contractual agreements, often demanding deposits and editing posts to hide compensation details.