A recent Korean court ruling in favor of importing equivalently sized physical dolls has reignited a heated debate over their possible social impact. Importers and supporters argue that the physical dolls should be treated like any other adult toy on the shelves, while opponents argue that the dolls objectify women.
Korea Customs Bans Sex Doll Imports
Earlier, the Seoul Administrative Court overturned a decision made by Gimpo International Airport Customs in January 2020 that banned the importation of solid doll products similar in size to a human being. Customs said the dolls would harm public morals, but the court said the toys were for personal use and would not corrupt morals.The controversy over the physical dolls erupted in South Korea in June 2019 when the Supreme Court ruled in favor of another doll importer who sued the government customs agency to block their importation. The Supreme Court stated that the government should not interfere with people's private lives, of which buying physical dolls is a part. Customs authorities then allowed the particular company that brought the lawsuit to import, but banned imports by other companies.
Supporters of the court's decision argued that the dolls were nothing more than ordinary equivalents of dolls. "A doll is a doll! It's just a way to satisfy people's needs." A 39-year-old corporate employee said,"Personally, I don't understand the women who oppose dolls, who think they destroy human dignity." In line with this stance, supporters submitted a petition on Cheong Wa Dae's website calling on customs authorities to stop banning the import of the dolls, noting that all citizens have the right to privacy and freedom.
They wrote:"Things like the isometric solid sex dolls are used in people's private lives and do not cause any harm to others, but the decision by customs not to allow their importation is a clear violation of personal happiness without a compelling reason."
Feminist Rebuttal
But women and feminist groups have expressed concern that some companies offering physical dolls with specific identities or young faces could undermine women's dignity by promoting their sexual objectification. "Buying equivalent physical dolls is dangerous because they can make users feel that everything like buying, selling or controlling a human body is possible," said Seo Seung-hee, head of the Korea Center for Response to Cyber Sexual Violence.
"The act of copying and freely using human images inevitably desensitizes people to violence against women." Calls for the government to enact laws and regulations for physical dolls have grown since the Supreme Court ruling in 2019, with some lawmakers proposing bills to punish the production and sale of dolls that look like they are on the small side, but the South Korean National Assembly is currently failing to hold discussions on the issue. In her paper "Real doll, eroticism of domination," published in October 2019, Yoon Ji-young, a professor at the Institute of Body and Culture at Konkuk University in South Korea, noted that there is a difference between women's and men's in terms of control over their lives. "Women are more concerned with physical sensations, while men are focused on controlling their bodies," Yoon Ji-young wrote.
The Risks Of Buying Sex Dolls
So when we buy sex dolls, we should first check whether it's legal to buy sex dolls locally on Google or elsewhere. It is important to make sure that any doll that could trigger pedophilia will not be allowed to be sold, and the smaller styles of dolls offered on the market to choose from must contain adult features. All physical dolls should comply with local laws, and manufacturers take the legality of physical dolls very seriously, as should buyers of sex dolls.A news article from March of this year reported that an Australian man was arrested for buying a physical doll that was too small. You can imagine how serious countries are about child-related crime, to the point of risking catching Neocon pneumonia to arrest the man. It makes you wonder what kind of physical dolls are legal in which countries, what sizes are okay, and what the laws are for importing physical dolls. Are physical dolls legal anywhere?
In some places, physical dolls are 100% illegal (which does bother me!). In such cases, the physical doll supplier cannot supply here unless the law is eventually changed in the place where it is located. If the supplier sells and ships dolls to this location, then you will be in trouble with the law and could have your physical dolls confiscated and get into jail time. In many countries, they are legal as long as they meet the criteria. For example, Australia, Norway and the United Kingdom have height restrictions on physical dolls, meaning that the size must be greater than 140 cm. Australia has more regulations, not only on height, but also on the secondary sexual characteristics exhibited by the doll.It is best not to buy a doll that happens to be the minimum standard allowed by law, which may also have some implications. For example, in the UK, the standard minimum size of a doll is 140cm, however, it is recommended to order at least 145cm, preferably 150cm and above, to be completely worry-free. In fact, Schreiber staff will check every order and if we suspect there may be a problem with your order, we will flag it for you before processing. We don't want to jeopardize our customers, or our business, let alone our ethical stance.
