Korea Herald: plastic surgery clinics use AI ads

The Korea Herald reported on May 17 that plastic surgery clinics and hair salons in South Korea are increasingly using AI-generated images and reviews in marketing without disclosing that the material is synthetic. The newspaper said the practice is spreading across online platforms as generative AI tools become cheaper and easier to use. The article cited service businesses where visual proof and customer testimony are central to winning clients. It also said regulators are moving to tighten disclosure rules. Park Ji-yeon, an office worker in her 30s quoted by The Korea Herald, said she has started to doubt online reviews after seeing comments that a post she believed was real was fake. The newspaper said that confusion now extends beyond heavily edited before-and-after photos to fully AI-made promotional material. In cosmetic surgery and hair services, those images can stand in for patient results or customer experiences that viewers may assume are authentic. ### How are clinics and salons using the technology? The Korea Herald said clinics and salons are using AI to create both promotional visuals and written reviews. In those sectors, before-and-after images, treatment outcomes and first-person endorsements are common ad tools, making synthetic replacements hard for consumers to spot. Freelance platforms in South Korea are offering AI-generated advertising photos for 10,000 won to 30,000 won, or about $7 to $22, per image, according to the report. That price point lowers the cost of producing polished marketing material and avoids the need to hire models or secure customer photos. ### Why does the lack of disclosure matter? The Korea Herald said the main concern is that AI-generated images may be presented as if they were authentic treatment cases. In plastic surgery, that can blur the line between an illustration and a documented medical result. In hair salons, it can do the same with styling outcomes and customer satisfaction. Park Ji-yeon told the newspaper that the uncertainty has made online reviews harder to trust. The issue is not only whether an image looks edited, but whether the person or experience shown existed at all. ### What are regulators in South Korea doing? The Korea Fair Trade Commission announced in April that it would revise its advertising review guidelines to require disclosures when AI-generated virtual figures are used in advertisements, according to Korean media reports and legal summaries of the draft. The proposal covers endorsements and recommendations made by virtual characters that are not based on real experiences. Those ads could be treated as unfair or deceptive under the revised framework. The draft amendment was opened for public comment from April 8 to April 28, according to Kim & Chang and other reports on the commission’s proposal. Korean media reports said the revised rules would require clear labeling so consumers are not misled into believing AI-generated endorsers are real customers, experts or public figures. ### What does the proposed rule cover beyond beauty ads? The Korea Fair Trade Commission’s draft is broader than plastic surgery or hair salons. Korean reports on the proposal said it applies to advertisements using AI-generated “virtual persons” in endorsements and testimonials across industries. The Korea Herald’s article shows why beauty services have drawn attention first. Cosmetic procedures and salon treatments are sold heavily through visual comparison and customer narratives, giving AI-generated photos and reviews unusual weight in a buyer’s decision. ### What comes next? The Korea Fair Trade Commission said it would gather feedback from experts and relevant government agencies before finalizing and implementing the revised guidelines. That leaves the current Korea Herald report as a snapshot of a market practice moving faster than the rulemaking now under way. April 28 marked the end of the public-comment period on the KFTC draft, according to reports on the proposal. The next step is the commission’s finalization of the revised advertising review guidelines, which would set the disclosure standard for AI-generated endorsers in South Korea.