Comparative advertising
Korea ／ MFDS
In advertising a drug it is prohibited to make an advertisement that disparages another product, or that is suspected of disparaging it, irrespective of whether the content is true, and it is prohibited to advertise efficacy or performance with content such as 'this is definitely guaranteed' or with absolute expressions such as 'the best' or 'the finest'; for quasi-drugs, comparative statements about competing products must be made in accordance with the facts and exclusive absolute expressions such as 'the best' or 'the finest' may not be used.
医薬品の広告においては、事実であるか否かを問わず他の製品を誹謗し、または誹謗するものと疑われる広告をしてはならず、効能・効果の広告で「これを確実に保証する」といった内容や「最高」「最上」などの絶対的表現を用いた広告をしてはならない（医薬部外品については、競争商品に関する比較表示は事実どおりに行い、排他性を帯びた絶対的表現を用いてはならない）。
Note
BLOCKER RESOLVED. The annex is served by law.go.kr as a PDF at https://www.law.go.kr/flDownload.do?flSeq=162105271 , which I downloaded and read in Korean (official filename '[별표 7] 의약품등을 광고하는 경우에 준수하여야 할 사항(제78조제3항 관련)(의약품 등의 안전에 관한 규칙).pdf'). I confirmed this PDF is the annex attached to the CURRENT version of the Rules: I resolved the current law sequence (lsiSeq=284019, header '의약품 등의 안전에 관한 규칙 [시행 2026. 3. 5.] [총리령 제2100호, 2026. 3. 5., 일부개정]'), then obtained that version's Annex 7 pdfFlSeq from law.go.kr's own annex-content endpoint, and the extracted text is identical to a copy fetched by a separate route. The cited source_url is the annex viewer page for that law sequence, which I also opened; the flSeq download URL may rotate. Operative Korean: 2.마 '사실 여부와 관계없이 다른 제품을 비방하거나 비방하는 것으로 의심되는 광고를 하지 말 것'; 2.자 '효능ㆍ효과를 광고할 때에 "이를 확실히 보증한다"라는 내용 등의 광고 또는 "최고", "최상" 등의 절대적 표현을 사용한 광고를 하지 말 것'; 3.라 '경쟁상품에 관한 비교표시는 사실대로 하여야 하며, 배타성을 띤 "최고" 또는 "최상" 등의 절대적 표현을 사용한 광고를 하지 말 것'. Note the asymmetry: the express comparative-display rule (3.라) sits in the quasi-drug section, while the drug section (2) contains a disparagement prohibition rather than a positive permission for comparative advertising. Item 2.가 additionally confines drug advertising to matters approved or notified under Article 31 or Article 42(1) of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act, except where citing reference literature in official compendia, drug formularies or clinically and pharmaceutically recognised results, in which case the cited work's true meaning must be conveyed accurately and the researcher's name, the title of the work and the date of publication must be stated specifically.
BLOCKER RESOLVED. The annex is served by law.go.kr as a PDF at https://www.law.go.kr/flDownload.do?flSeq=162105271 , which I downloaded and read in Korean (official filename '[별표 7] 의약품등을 광고하는 경우에 준수하여야 할 사항(제78조제3항 관련)(의약품 등의 안전에 관한 규칙).pdf'). I confirmed this PDF is the annex attached to the CURRENT version of the Rules: I resolved the current law sequence (lsiSeq=284019, header '의약품 등의 안전에 관한 규칙 [시행 2026. 3. 5.] [총리령 제2100호, 2026. 3. 5., 일부개정]'), then obtained that version's Annex 7 pdfFlSeq from law.go.kr's own annex-content endpoint, and the extracted text is identical to a copy fetched by a separate route. The cited source_url is the annex viewer page for that law sequence, which I also opened; the flSeq download URL may rotate. Operative Korean: 2.마 '사실 여부와 관계없이 다른 제품을 비방하거나 비방하는 것으로 의심되는 광고를 하지 말 것'; 2.자 '효능ㆍ효과를 광고할 때에 "이를 확실히 보증한다"라는 내용 등의 광고 또는 "최고", "최상" 등의 절대적 표현을 사용한 광고를 하지 말 것'; 3.라 '경쟁상품에 관한 비교표시는 사실대로 하여야 하며, 배타성을 띤 "최고" 또는 "최상" 등의 절대적 표현을 사용한 광고를 하지 말 것'. Note the asymmetry: the express comparative-display rule (3.라) sits in the quasi-drug section, while the drug section (2) contains a disparagement prohibition rather than a positive permission for comparative advertising. Item 2.가 additionally confines drug advertising to matters approved or notified under Article 31 or Article 42(1) of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act, except where citing reference literature in official compendia, drug formularies or clinically and pharmaceutically recognised results, in which case the cited work's true meaning must be conveyed accurately and the researcher's name, the title of the work and the date of publication must be stated specifically.