News / Korea / yonhap_finance
South Korea Tightens Oversight on Financial Investment Advertising
Finance · Investment Banks/Brokers · yonhap_finance · 2026-09-01
The Financial Supervisory Service is implementing stricter rules for financial investment ads, targeting misleading content and undisclosed influencer marketing.
What Happened
Enhanced Advertising Oversight: The Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) and the Korea Financial Investment Association have introduced comprehensive measures to curb misleading and exaggerated advertisements by investment firms. These rules mandate pre-screening for investment-related content and require the participation of Chief Consumer Officers in the review process.
Crackdown on Influencer Marketing: The new regulations specifically target 'stealth marketing' on online platforms, where financial products are promoted without clear disclosure of economic ties. Firms are now required to maintain strict checklists for online channel management, covering everything from initial contracts to post-publication monitoring.
Closing Regulatory Gaps: To eliminate blind spots, video advertisements for high-risk products and new ETFs on company-owned channels will now be subject to mandatory association reviews. A newly formed 'Advertising Committee' will oversee policy decisions and ensure consistent compliance across the industry.
Sanctions and Enforcement: The FSS has established new criteria for imposing fines on advertising violations and will conduct mandatory annual audits. These measures are scheduled to take effect in January, with authorities signaling a zero-tolerance approach toward firms that compromise investor protection.