Full-body sex doll imports are now officially permitted in South Korea, putting an end to years of controversy about how far the government should intervene in people’s personal lives. Despite the fact that there are no laws or regulations prohibiting the import of sex dolls, the Korea Customs Service has nonetheless confiscated hundreds, if not thousands of them, citing a provision in the law that forbids the import of goods that “harm the country’s beautiful traditions and public moral.”
The majority of the judges heard complaints from importers and agreed with them, ordering customs to release the sex dolls since they are utilised in people’s private places and do not diminish human dignity.
The customs office said in a statement on Monday that it has started enforcing a revised policy on the import of life-size adult sex dolls. It claimed to have examined recent court decisions as well as recommendations from pertinent governmental organisations, such as the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family.
The customs office stated that it will continue to ban the entry of dolls that resemble children or those that represent particular individuals. It claimed that other nations, including the US, Australia, and the UK, prohibit child-like sex toys as well.
Although the decision underscores South Korea’s cautious but steady efforts to limit official meddling in private affairs, several conservative and women’s rights organisations are expected to once again express their objections to the usage of sex dolls. According to them, they intensify the sexual objectification of women and undermine public morals.
Sex doll importer Carenshare Co. from South Korea said in a statement that it was “deplorable” for the customs department to withdraw the import restriction following what it said was a waste of government funds on legal actions against importers. The company claimed to have incurred significant losses. It stated that additional rules that hurt the economy in South Korea must be changed.
“We thought our people’s rights to seek happiness and use (sex dolls) in their private lives have been restricted by the state,” said Lee Sang-jin, who headed one of the company’s online shopping malls. “There are various types of people who use (sex dolls), including those who are sexually alienated or those who need them for artistic purposes.”
