The Fair Trade Commission (Chairman Han Ki-jung) announced on the 2nd that it had detected 10 wedding preparation agencies engaging in false and exaggerated advertising regarding business size, number of partner companies, and transaction conditions, and had issued corrective orders and warnings.
The investigation was conducted in August on its own initiative, considering the financial burden that wedding services pose on the youth due to their large expenses and the increasing consumer complaints. The investigation revealed that 10 companies were engaged in unfair advertising, and the identified advertisements have been deleted, modified, or made private.
Many of the detected cases involved advertising false claims such as “No. 1 in Korea for three consecutive years” and “Largest number of partners in the industry” without evidence, making them appear as the largest business entity. Some companies exaggerated the scale of wedding fairs with claims like “Korea’s largest wedding festival” and “3.2 million cumulative views.”
Additionally, some companies advertised “lowest price guarantee” but imposed penalty fees for contract cancellations, or advertised benefits like free photo shoots and dresses, which were not fulfilled as promised.
There were also cases where employees, following internal guidelines, posted as if they were actual consumer experiences instead of genuine user reviews on social media.
The FTC explained that these measures are significant in correcting unfair advertising related to important factors like business size and transaction conditions, which help consumers compare and choose companies, thereby supporting rational decision-making.
An FTC representative stated, “Due to the significant information asymmetry between consumers and businesses in the wedding service sector, we will continue to monitor false and exaggerated advertising closely related to daily life.”