Ko Dong-jin introduces amendment to the Special Act on Children's Dietary Safety Management

People Power Party lawmaker Ko Dong-jin [Yonhap]
People Power Party lawmaker Ko Dong-jin [Yonhap]

People Power Party lawmaker Ko Dong-jin said Tuesday he had submitted to the National Assembly an amendment to the Special Act on Children's Dietary Safety Management that would ban advertisements suggesting high-caffeine food and beverages can improve children's academic performance.

Current law prohibits the sale of high-caffeine products on school grounds and places some restrictions on advertising hours, but falls short of directly banning ads that link high-caffeine products to academic improvement to encourage children's consumption, or restricting advertising and sales promotions within children's food safety protection zones.

Concerns have been raised that children and adolescents metabolize caffeine less efficiently than adults, meaning prolonged high intake can lead to tolerance and dependence. Experts have called for regulatory measures to curb advertising and promotional activities that foster misconceptions about high-caffeine products among children and could lead to indiscriminate consumption.

Ko introduced the amendment as its lead sponsor. The bill would ban any advertisement claiming — or likely to be mistaken as claiming — that high-caffeine food or beverages enhance children's academic performance, and would also prohibit advertising and sales promotions for such products within children's food safety protection zones.

"We must not allow an environment where children come to see high-caffeine products as something they need to study better," Ko said. "Through this amendment, we will work to prevent children's indiscriminate consumption of high-caffeine foods and help create a healthier and safer dietary environment for them."


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