South Korea will now allow adult-sized sex dolls through customs

Officials in South Korea have decided to allow adult-sized sex dolls through customs in the country despite previous fears they could be seen to harm its 'traditions and public morals'.

From tea bags to weapons, fridge magnets to drugs, customs agents have seen it all.

In South Korea, officers have seized hundreds and hundreds of sex dolls during attempts to bring them into the country over the last four years, but the human-like models themselves aren't actually illegal there.

Andia / Alamy Stock Photo

Instead, the dolls were seized due to a law which restricts goods that are seen as harming South Korea's traditions and public morals.

Importers who protested the ruling argued the dolls didn't affect human dignity and went to court with complaints that the ban should be lifted.

In 2019, the Supreme Court ruled that sex dolls are for personal use and should be treated differently than pornography, which is legal in South Korea but remains tightly regulated.

The same year, nearly a quarter of a million people signed a petition arguing that sex dolls should be banned from import into South Korea. The person who started the petition claimed the dolls could lead to an increase in sex crimes.

In spite of the controversy, customs officials announced their decision to lift the ban and allow those who have had sex dolls seized over the last four years to be reunited with their products.

Kumar Sriskandan / Alamy Stock Photo

The decision came after officials reviewed recent court rulings and opinions from government agencies including the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family.

Importers will now be allowed to bring adult-shaped dolls into the country, though child-like dolls resembling minors are still prohibited in the new guidelines, the Korea Customs Service said.

It is unclear whether the ban on sex dolls that look like minors covers products made in South Korea.

The service has also warned that it would ban the sale of sex dolls that resemble real people, such as celebrities.

Importers who have previously had sex dolls taken from them at customs will be able to retrieve them from government custody, where more than 1,000 sex dolls are thought to have been collected over the last four years.

Adult-sized sex dolls can cost millions in South Korea, with dolls ranging from around 1 million won (£650/$785) to 20 million won (£13,000/$15,700) depending on the features included.

The dolls can be made with silicon skin, body heating systems and a range of eye and hair colours.