To research competitors in Korea with the Meta Ad Library (메타 광고 라이브러리, also written 메타 라이브러리 or 광고 라이브러리), open the library, set the country to South Korea, search for each rival's Page by name, then open and record every active ad in one sheet using the same tags. The library shows what competitors are running now. It does not show their results.
Key takeaways
- The Meta Ad Library is a free, public search of ads that Pages are running on Meta's apps, so it is a record of what rivals say, not of what works.
- Set the country to South Korea first, then search by the advertiser's Page rather than by keyword alone.
- Meta described the library as showing all active ads a Page is running, so capture ads on a schedule, because an ad that stops running may no longer be there.
- Ads that target people in the EU are kept for a year with targeting details; do not expect that depth for a Korea-only campaign.
- Tag every ad with one codebook and compare shares of messages, not raw ad counts.
What is the Meta Ad Library (메타 광고 라이브러리)?
It is Meta's public ad archive. When Meta widened it in 2019, it said the library would include "all active ads any Page is running", not only political or issue ads, and that anyone could search it by Page as well as by keyword (Meta, 2019).
Korean marketers search it under several names: 메타 라이브러리, 메타라이브러리, 광고 라이브러리 and 메타 광고 라이브러리 all point to the same tool. The English name is Meta Ad Library, and the page itself is the one at facebook.com/ads/library.
The same 2019 article says each Page's entry can show its creation date, past name changes and merges, and, for larger Pages or those running political or issue ads in select countries, the primary country of the people who manage it. That last detail helps you check whether a "Korean" brand is run from another market.
How do you search the Meta Ad Library for Korean competitors, step by step?
Run one pass per competitor, in one country, and save the evidence as you go.
- Open the library and choose the country. Select South Korea, so you see ads from that market and not a global mix. Do the same again for Japan or Singapore later, as separate passes.
- Keep the ad category on the general option (all ads), unless you are studying social-issue or political advertising.
- Search for the advertiser. Type the brand name in Korean (한글) and in English. Many Korean brands run separate Pages for each language, product line or sub-brand, so try each spelling.
- Pick the Page from the suggestions. A plain keyword search also returns other advertisers whose ads use the word. Choosing the Page keeps your results clean.
- Use the filters the interface offers. Typical ones cover active status, language, platform and media type. The names and positions of these controls change, so check what you see on screen.
- Open each ad's detail view and note the start date and whether it is still active.
- Check the Page's transparency details to confirm it is the right entity.
- Save the ad link, the ad ID, a screenshot and the capture date.
We could not open Meta's own help articles for this guide, because Meta's site blocks automated reading. The steps above describe the tool's visible workflow and the two Meta announcements cited below. Check Meta's current help centre for the latest filter names.
What can you see, and what can you not see?
You can see the creative and copy, the Page, and when an ad started. You cannot assume you will see spend, reach or results for a Korea-only commercial ad.
| Question | What the library gives you | What you must work out yourself |
|---|---|---|
| What do rivals say? | Ad creative, copy and button text | Which message is the main one |
| How long do they run it? | Start date and active status | Whether a long run means it works |
| Who runs it? | Page name and transparency details | Whether an agency or a local entity is behind it |
| What does it cost, and who sees it? | Not for ordinary Korea-only ads | Use your own benchmarks and tests |
The EU is the exception. In August 2023 Meta said it would display and archive all ads that target people in the EU, keep them in the public library for a year, and include details such as age, gender and location selections and when each ad ran (Meta, 2023). A Korean brand that also advertises in Europe therefore leaves a longer trail there than at home.
How do you turn Korean ads into usable research?
Record the same fields for every ad, then count patterns instead of individual ads.
- Advertiser, Page, ad ID, link and capture date.
- Format (image, video, carousel) and platform.
- The offer or claim, the call to action and the landing page.
- Language, tone and whether it speaks to a clear audience.
- One or two tags for the message, such as price, trust, novelty or lifestyle.
Then deduplicate. Advertisers often run the same copy in many variations, so ten ads can contain three ideas. Our wider guide, how to research competitor ads in the Meta Ad Library, covers the recording sheet in detail, and competitor ad analysis by market shows how to compare countries.
What should you watch for in the Korean market?
Look at language, platform mix and local context, because those differ from your other markets even when the brand is the same.
- Language: check whether a regional brand translates its global ads or writes for Korean readers. See content localisation in Asia is not translation for why this matters.
- Timing: compare ads against seasonal and holiday moments in Korea. The APAC marketing calendar helps you line captures up with campaign peaks.
- Coverage: the library covers Meta only. Ads on other platforms need their own tools. Google describes its Ads Transparency Center as showing the ads a verified advertiser has run, the region they were shown in and the last date they ran (Google).
If you track many brands in several markets, a manual sheet gets heavy quickly. SOMIN (SoMin.ai), the AI marketing-intelligence company run by Somin Pte. Ltd. in Singapore, offers SOMIN Strategy for ongoing competitor ad and content tracking, so the archive does not depend on someone remembering to capture it.
FAQ
What is 메타 광고 라이브러리?
It is the Korean name people use for the Meta Ad Library, Meta's public search of ads that Pages are running on its apps. Searches such as 메타 라이브러리 and 광고 라이브러리 lead to the same tool.
Do I need a Facebook account to use it?
We could not confirm this on Meta's own help pages. Check the library's current terms; logging in may be needed for some features, such as downloads or age-restricted ads.
Can I see how much a Korean competitor spends?
Not for ordinary commercial ads that only run in Korea. Meta's published spend and reach figures relate to political and issue ads, and ads aimed at the EU carry extra targeting details. Treat spend as unknown.
Will old ads stay available?
Meta said in 2019 that political and issue ads are kept for seven years, and in 2023 that ads aimed at the EU are kept for a year. We found no equivalent promise for ordinary Korea-only ads, so capture them while they run.
How often should I check competitors?
Weekly for fast-moving categories and at least monthly otherwise. Keep the same day and the same search each time, so changes are easy to see.
Sources
- Meta, A Better Way to Learn About Ads on Facebook, March 2019.
- Meta, New features and additional transparency measures as the Digital Services Act comes into effect, August 2023.
- Google, Announcing the launch of the new Ads Transparency Center.
