South Korea has ruled in favour of allowing the import of “real dolls” or life-size silicone sex dolls, a decision critics say could lead to the manufacturing of dolls made to look like real people.Real dolls are hyper-realistic, as opposed to blow up dolls that are obviously fake.In a case against a Korean customs agency, the Seoul High Court in January allowed a real doll distributor to import sex dolls into the country for the first time on the grounds that they are for personal use only. The supreme court upheld this decision in June.
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The import of sex dolls was previously banned under a law that restricts things that “corrupt public morals." Sex doll makers used to try smuggling their way into Korea by disguising their products as mannequins.The new ruling immediately enraged many Koreans and on July 8, citizens began a presidential petition opposing the import of the sex dolls. The petition received over 260,000 signatures in less than a month. The signees are concerned that sex dolls enable or enhance the sexual desires of potential sex offenders.Critics also argue that real people's facial features or body parts could be used as reference for these dolls without their consent.Others say that Korea needs to create strict regulations for these sex dolls, just like countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada where dolls made to look like children are banned.
It’s also quite easy to purchase real dolls from Korean sellers, as many only verify a customer’s age online. Minors, for example, can order a sex doll by simply inputting their parents’ information.The real doll hype is, well, very real in Korea. Many YouTubers feature the sex toys in their content, a trend that has enraged local opposers of pornography.You can follow Elaine on Instagram . Follow Vice Korea on Instagram , Facebook and Twitter .