South Koreans can carry on bonking sex dolls after import ban is lifted
South Koreans have been told to carry on bonking their adult-sized sex dolls after an import ban on the inflate-a-mates was lifted.
The Korea Customs Service gave the green light on Monday to allow adult-shaped dolls through customs but added that child-like dolls resembling minors are still prohibited and will be confiscated.
There are no laws or regulations prohibiting the import of sex dolls into South Korea but since 2018 the customs service took it upon itself to confiscate 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.”
Sex doll importers complained to the South Korean court asking for the ban to be lifted and for the impounded dolls to be released from customs because they did not impinge on human dignity.
The Supreme Court agreed in 2019 and upheld a decision that sex dolls are used for personal use and fall under the same category as pornography, which is tightly regulated, but legal.
The court’s decision caused a backlash and almost 250,000 people signed a petition to stop the import of the dolls into South Korea. The unnamed petition’s author said the dolls could lead to an increase in sex crimes.
Common sense prevailed, however, and the customs service decided to lift the ban.
They said that the decision was made after reviewing recent court rulings and opinions from relevant government agencies including the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family.
The decision means importers can now retrieve their products from government custody. Customs officials said over 1,000 sex dolls have been impounded over the past four years.
Sex doll importer Carenshare Co. from South Korea said in a statement that it 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.
Lee Sang-jin, who heads one of Carenshare Co.’s online shopping malls, said…
“We thought our people’s rights to seek happiness and use (sex dolls) in their private lives have been restricted by the state.
“There are various types of people who use (sex dolls), including those who are sexually alienated or those who need them for artistic purposes.”
Customs officials insisted they would ban the sale of sex dolls that resemble celebrities or minors.
