COLUMBUS, South Korea — South Korea has officially abolished a prohibition on the import of full-body sex dolls, putting an end to years of discussion over the extent to which the government should intrude in private life.
Although there are no rules or regulations prohibiting the import of sex dolls, hundreds, if not thousands, have been detained by customs officials, who cited a provision that prohibits the entry of commodities that “damage the country’s magnificent traditions and public moral.”
The majority of the courts agreed with the importers and ordered customs to release the sex dolls on the grounds that they are used in private settings and do not violate human dignity.
The Korea Customs Service issued a statement on Monday stating it has begun enforcing a revised import policy for life-size adult sex dolls. It stated that it has analyzed recent judicial decisions and advice from relevant government institutions, such as the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family.
The customs office stated that it will continue to prohibit the importation of sex toys resembling children or others depicting specific individuals. It was stated that other nations, like the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom, prohibit childlike sex dolls.
Women’s rights and conservative organizations are likely to reaffirm their opposition to the use of sex dolls, despite the fact that the decision underscores South Korea’s modest but persistent efforts to limit official intrusion in private lives. They claim that they exacerbate the sexual ization of women and erode public morality.
Carenshare Co., a South Korean company that imports sex dolls, stated in a statement that it was “appalling” that the customs department lifted the import ban after reportedly squandering tax dollars on lawsuits with importers. The corporation reported suffering enormous losses. It was stated that South Korea must alter further regulations that are detrimental to the economy.
Lee Sang-jin, the head of one of the company’s online shopping malls, stated, “We believed the state had restricted the rights of our people to seek happiness and utilize (sex dolls) in their private life.” People who utilize (sex dolls) include those who are sexually alienated and those who use them for artistic purposes.
Lee stated that the customs ruling was “fair” but “a little late.”
Lee stated that South Korean authorities do not prohibit the sale of locally produced sex dolls, but their quality is often inferior to that of foreign-made dolls.
Lee stated that his old company has reclaimed more than twenty sex dolls from customs officials through litigation. After around two years of seizures by the customs agency, many of the rescued sex dolls became unusable, therefore the company has launched separate lawsuits seeking government reimbursement.
The customs service’s decision would allow importers to retrieve sex dolls housed in agency-managed government storage.
Since 2018, South Korea has been the recipient of over one thousand sex dolls, according to customs officials.
»South Korea lifts import restriction on sex dolls«