Home shopping companies face sanctions for fake foot flakes in informercial

The Korea Communications Standards Commission (KOCSC) issued warnings to GS Retail, SK Stoa, Hyundai Home Shopping and W Shopping for their misleading broadcasts on foot exfoliation products using rice paste to simulate skin flakes.

A show host shows foot flakes that were actually rice paste shavings to advertise exfoliation products during a shopping broadcast. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Four home shopping companies are facing legal sanctions after using rice paste to simulate skin flakes in advertisements for their exfoliating products.

The Korea Communications Standards Commission (KOCSC) issued warnings to GS Retail, SK Stoa, Hyundai Home Shopping and W Shopping for their misleading broadcasts on foot exfoliation products during a general meeting at the Broadcasting Hall in Yangcheon District, western Seoul, on Monday, according to industry sources on Thursday.

During the broadcasts in question, show hosts demonstrated the use of exfoliators to remove thick layers of dead skin from feet. However, what appeared to be skin was actually rice paste that was used with the intent to exaggerate the product’s effectiveness.

The hosts also made remarks such as “I built up dead skin on feet for a week for this broadcast” and “There is so much dead skin,” implying the rice paste shavings were actual dead skin.

Although subtitles at the bottom of the screen noted that the scenes were "staged for customer understanding," the KOCSC’s judging committee found their demonstrations and statements misleading enough to cause viewers to believe the rice paste was real dead skin.

“Companies must clearly indicate when scenes are staged to aid customer understanding, otherwise it’s a fraud,” the KOCSC said, labeling the marketing a serious regulatory violation that warrants heavy sanctions.

The companies have since apologized for the "inappropriate staged scene" and promised to prevent similar incidents in the future.

BY KIM JI-HYE, WOO JI-WON [woo.jiwon@joongang.co.kr]