Published: Just now
The ban on importing full-body sex dolls is lifted in South Korea. The announcement means the end of a several-year-long debate about how much the authorities should invest in citizens’ private lives.
Although the import was not prohibited by law, hundreds, perhaps thousands, of dolls have been seized by South Korean customs. This has been done with reference to a section of the law that prohibits the importation of goods that damage the country’s “beautiful traditions” and “societal morals”.
The seizures have led to a series of legal cases, which often ended with the court ordering customs to hand over the dolls to the importing companies.
Now the South Korean customs agency announces that future exercise of authority will take place based on a revised set of regulations. Import of adult sex dolls is allowed. However, child-like dolls and dolls that resemble real people will continue to be stopped at the border.
Some women’s rights organizations and conservative groups have criticized the dolls as morally harmful and for reflecting the objectification of women in South Korean society.
The over a thousand sex dolls caught by customs since 2018 will now be allowed to leave the authority’s storage premises.