Adult Toy 'Real Doll' Placed in Empty Stadium Seats
FC Seoul "Requested Police Investigation on Mannequin Supplier"
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. / Photo by Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Lim Ju-hyung] FC Seoul, a professional soccer team embroiled in controversy for placing dozens of adult products called 'realdolls' modeled after the female body in the stands, has been fined 100 million won.
The Korea Professional Football League announced on the 20th that the disciplinary committee held at the Football Hall in Jongno-gu, Seoul, imposed a fine of 100 million won on FC Seoul.
The league explained the reason for the sanction, stating, "FC Seoul's actions seriously damaged the honor of the K League and caused great humiliation and hurt to female fans and family-oriented fans who have supported the K League."
It added, "Since last year, realdolls have been criticized and raised public concerns for causing sexual shame, serving as a medium for sexual commodification, and objectifying women, thereby harming human dignity. A professional sports club, which should resonate with the public's standards, should never have displayed realdolls in the stadium without recognizing their true nature."
Earlier, on the 17th, FC Seoul placed dozens of mannequins in the stands during their home opener against Gwangju FC, held without spectators, to enhance the sense of presence.
However, fans watching through broadcasts and photos raised suspicions that the mannequins were actually realdolls, adult products, sparking controversy.
As the controversy spread, FC Seoul explained on their official social network service channel, "Unlike existing mannequins, these were made to look like real people but are products completely unrelated to adult products."
However, when circumstances such as the cheering placards held by some mannequins bearing the names of actual realdoll sellers and internet broadcasters who became realdoll models were discovered, the club apologized, saying, "The problem was that the staff did not thoroughly check the details. We take full responsibility without excuses."
Meanwhile, before the league's disciplinary announcement on the 20th, FC Seoul stated, "We have requested a police investigation into the deceptive actions of the company that provided the mannequins" and "We will actively cooperate with the investigation for an accurate fact-finding."
They also explained that those involved in contacting and working with the mannequin company have been disciplined with measures such as suspension due to negligence.
They emphasized, "We deeply apologize to everyone who was concerned about this unfortunate incident and will do our utmost to prevent recurrence through a thorough internal system review."
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