The Women's Party strongly protested after the Supreme Court ruled that customs authorities acted illegally by uniformly suspending imports of "real dolls," adult products designed to resemble human bodies. The party held a press conference on January 8 in front of the Supreme Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, demanding a complete ban on real doll imports.
The Supreme Court's First Division (presiding Justice Shin Sook-hee) recently finalized a ruling in favor of distributor Company A in its lawsuit against the Gimpo Airport Customs Office chief seeking to overturn the import suspension. Company A filed for import clearance of real dolls in March 2020 but initiated legal action after customs suspended the clearance.
The Supreme Court found that while the real dolls Company A sought to import depicted a female figure in detail, they did not constitute "goods harmful to public morals" that explicitly express or depict sexual body parts in a manner that seriously undermines human dignity.
The court reaffirmed the legal principle that "real dolls may be subject to import suspension as 'goods harmful to public morals' if they are obscene due to explicit expression or depiction of sexual body parts through methods that seriously undermine or distort human dignity and value, or if they constitute 'sexual tools realistically modeled after the physical appearance of minors under 16 years of age.'"
The court added that "even if a real doll does not constitute 'goods harmful to public morals,' there may be grounds for recognizing 'concerns about harming public morals' if it is distributed and used outside private spaces rather than being discreetly used as a sexual tool within the personal domain."
The ruling further stated that "customs officials must investigate the import purpose, users, spaces and environments where the product will be used, and usage methods to confirm specific grounds for 'concerns about harming public morals' before suspending clearance on such grounds."
However, the court noted that "'concerns about harming public morals' as grounds for import suspension may be recognized if the products are distributed and used outside private spaces after import." The Supreme Court has consistently held that imports may be permitted unless the products explicitly depict sexual body parts or are modeled after minors under 16.
Press conference participants argued that the Supreme Court's ruling was wrong, citing the actual form, manufacturing process, and distribution methods of real dolls. Park Jin-sook, emergency committee chairwoman of the Women's Party, criticized the court, asking, "Has the court actually seen a real doll? Do they understand how real dolls are being sold in Korea?"
She explained, "Contrary to the Supreme Court's ruling, real dolls explicitly depict female genitalia. They are made with human-like texture and voice functions that allow users to select between submission and resistance modes at will."
Yoo Ji-hye, spokesperson for the Women's Party, argued, "Real dolls are evolving beyond private spaces into a new form of prostitution industry through 'experience rooms.' In this process, sellers and experience room operators are promoting products in ways that evoke images of real women such as female university students, models, and specific celebrities. The risks of real dolls must be assessed considering how female bodies are perceived and consumed in society."
