The decree is the result of a litigation process initiated by a disgruntled shop proprietor in Kangneung province after failing to obtain an approval certificate from KARB to air an infomercial.
The case was taken up by the Korean Advertisers Association, which argued that the review board’s pre-censorship requirements were overly restrictive.
With official pre-censorship abolished, broadcasting stations review advertising individually according to self-
established guidelines.
However, Grey Korea’s strategic planning director Steve Yi noted that Kobaco, the Government agency that sets ad rates and acts as sales agent for the commercial networks, reserved the right to remove an ad in the event of consumer complaints relating to its content.
More freedom for Korean advertisers
SEOUL - Advertisers and agencies in Korea are set to enjoy more freedom in the creation of TV campaigns following a court ruling which has declared the country's advertising censorship body, the Korean Advertising Review Board (KARB), unconstitutional.
