Prohibition of Alcohol Advertisements on Public Transportation... Alcohol-Promoting Songs Also Not Allowed

Four Broadcasting Media with Alcohol Advertising Time Restrictions... Effective from the 30th

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jeong] Starting from the 30th, the posting, attachment, or installation of alcoholic beverage advertisements inside and outside public transportation facilities and vehicles such as buses and trains, as well as taxis, will be prohibited. Additionally, broadcasting media subject to time restrictions on alcohol advertisements will be expanded, and songs that encourage or induce the purchase or consumption of alcoholic beverages will no longer be allowed in advertisements.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Health Promotion Institute announced on the 30th that they will distribute guidelines on compliance with alcohol advertising to stakeholders related to alcoholic beverages.

According to the Enforcement Decree of the National Health Promotion Act, broadcasting media subject to time restrictions on alcohol advertisements (7 a.m. to 10 p.m.) will be expanded from existing TV to include data broadcasting, Internet TV (IPTV), and terrestrial mobile multimedia broadcasting (DMB).

The use of songs containing product names, manufacturers, or other product-related terms, as well as expressions encouraging or inducing the purchase or consumption of alcoholic beverages for sales promotion, will also be prohibited. However, simply using pre-existing sound sources as background music (BGM) in advertisements is allowed.

Posting, attaching, or installing alcoholic beverage advertisements inside and outside public transportation facilities and vehicles, taxis, and taxi stands is also prohibited.

Alcoholic beverage video advertisements broadcast on wall signs or rooftop signs will be banned from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Image advertisements and poster advertisements are not considered video advertisements.

Furthermore, alcohol advertisements are prohibited at events targeting children and adolescents.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Health Promotion Institute plan to monitor compliance with the revised alcohol advertising guidelines starting from the enforcement date on the 30th, and in case of violations, they will issue correction requests and provide guidance on the revised compliance requirements.

Considering contracts made before the law’s enforcement, a grace period until the end of the year will be granted for advertisements related to "alcohol advertising on transportation means and facilities" and "video advertisements broadcast on wall or rooftop signs" that were contracted before the enforcement date.

Im In-taek, Director of Health Policy at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, stated, "Regulation of alcohol advertising is a policy emphasized by the World Health Organization (WHO) to prevent harm caused by drinking. We hope that through this alcohol advertising guideline, the alcohol industry will comply well with the standards to prevent harm caused by alcohol consumption."

Jo In-seong, President of the Korea Health Promotion Institute, emphasized, "Drinking is being overly glamorized in advertisements and media. We will strengthen monitoring and guidance to ensure that alcohol manufacturers and others comply with alcohol advertising regulations."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.