Televisions on display at a major retail store in Seoul (Yonhap)
SEOUL, May 24 (Korea Bizwire) — Several Chinese television brands are under fire in South Korea for allegedly misleading consumers by advertising products as “UHD TVs” despite lacking the necessary hardware to receive terrestrial ultra-high-definition (UHD) broadcasts, a core feature under Korean broadcasting standards.
The non-profit industry group UHD Korea has formally filed a complaint with the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC), accusing some manufacturers and distributors — including major Chinese brands like TCL and Xiaomi — of violating the Act on Fair Labeling and Advertising.
According to the complaint, the TVs in question do not include built-in ATSC 3.0 tuners, which are required to access Korea’s terrestrial UHD broadcasts. Despite this, the products are marketed and sold with labels such as “4K UHD TV,” which UHD Korea says misleads consumers into thinking they are fully compatible with domestic broadcasting standards.
“Consumers are repeatedly contacting our call center with complaints that their newly purchased UHD TVs cannot receive terrestrial UHD signals,” said UHD Korea in a statement. “The issue stems from a fundamental misunderstanding created by incomplete or deceptive product labeling.”
UHD Korea further noted that when consumers reach out to manufacturers or retailers, they often receive vague technical responses such as “the panel supports UHD resolution,” with no clear explanation of why the TVs cannot receive local broadcasts.
Only domestically produced TVs from Samsung and LG currently meet the full specifications for receiving terrestrial UHD broadcasts in South Korea. Imported TVs, including those purchased via overseas direct shipping, generally lack ATSC 3.0 compatibility.
“This isn’t just a technical oversight—it’s a violation of consumer rights,” said Im Jung-gon, Secretary General of UHD Korea. “UHD broadcast access is a public asset and a universal service in South Korea. Selling incompatible products without clear notice is unacceptable.”
UHD Korea is urging both the government and the retail sector to implement stronger safeguards to ensure consumers are clearly informed about broadcast compatibility before making a purchase. It also called for legal and regulatory frameworks that would require accurate disclosure of tuner specifications on all TV packaging and marketing materials.
The KFTC has not yet commented on whether it will initiate a formal investigation.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
