On the 17th, dolls presumed to be real dolls were installed in the stands of Seoul World Cup Stadium during the 2020 K League 1 match between FC Seoul and Gwangju FC. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] The Professional Football Federation has initiated disciplinary procedures against FC Seoul for placing adult products called 'realdolls,' modeled after the female body, in the stands.
On the 19th, the Professional Football Federation announced that it decided to refer FC Seoul to the Disciplinary Committee and is currently coordinating the schedule to hold a meeting within two weeks.
On the same day, a federation official told a media outlet, "Since there was no precedent, we inquired about the matter to the chairman of the Disciplinary Committee the day before, and received a reply this afternoon that disciplinary regulations might be applied, so we decided to refer the case to the Disciplinary Committee."
Earlier, on the 17th, FC Seoul placed about 20 female mannequins along with cheering tools in the stands during the match against Gwangju FC held at their home stadium, the World Cup Stadium in Mapo-gu, Seoul. However, it was confirmed that some of these mannequins were 'realdolls,' adult products. Since the K League opened on the 8th, matches have been held without spectators to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The Disciplinary Committee will determine whether FC Seoul's act of placing realdolls in the stands violated the federation's regulations on prohibited advertisements or tarnished the league's honor, and decide on the disciplinary measures and their severity.
According to the federation's regulations, advertisements that are obscene or decadent and may harm public morals cannot be installed, and clubs that violate this may face penalties such as a deduction of 5 or more points or fines exceeding 5 million won.
The Disciplinary Committee will decide on disciplinary actions and their severity after reviewing the statement submitted by the federation and hearing explanations from related parties to understand the circumstances of the incident.
Meanwhile, FC Seoul is reviewing legal actions against the company that provided the 'realdolls.'
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