Business channels that repeatedly showed QR codes for paid open chatrooms run by guests on stock investment programmes, urging viewers to take part, have received a statutory sanction.

The Broadcast Media Communication Deliberation Committee held a plenary meeting on Sunday and approved a statutory sanction of caution for Seoul Economy TV's 'Stock Keywordream Part 1', Pax Economy TV's 'Aurora Big Money Show', Edaily TV's 'Upper Limit Express Delivery' and MTN's 'Surge Investigation Headquarters', it said.

The programmes were found to have repeatedly displayed QR codes on screen linking to open chatrooms run by stock investment experts appearing on the shows, or had hosts give detailed instructions on how to join the chatrooms.

Seoul Economy TV repeatedly explained how to enter the open chatroom via QR codes and text messages, while Pax Economy TV encouraged viewers to join by introducing guests' careers and awards in investment competitions.

Edaily TV explained how to enter an education chatroom and what materials would be provided to participants, while MTN aired content saying it would provide trading picks and investment strategies if viewers entered a communication channel via a QR code.

The panel said, "Content that directly advertises QR codes linking to paid open chatrooms and blatantly recruits participants is no exaggeration to say it is not a broadcast but a similar stock tip room," adding, "As this is an issue with a precedent of statutory sanctions, we plan to continue close monitoring."

A statutory sanction was also imposed on home-shopping broadcasts that advertised general food products as if they were health functional foods.

Sales broadcasts by SK Stoa and W Shopping for 'Sang-A Pharmaceutical Premium Liposome Policosanol' introduced the product as being from a "pharmaceutical company with about 50 years of tradition" even though the seller was a distribution-focused specialised seller that had acquired the pharmaceutical brand trademark rights.

They also sold a general food product classified as a sugar-processed food while mentioning that the ingredient policosanol helps with vascular health, misleading consumers about the product's efficacy. The panel approved a caution sanction for each of the two broadcasts as well.