[Exclusive] "Choose the Hymen" Real Doll Offers Female Vaginal Membrane as Option... Concerns Over Misogyny

Selling real dolls with female vaginal options labeled as 'Cheonyeomak'... Some men criticize this as reflecting a distorted view that 'a woman must have a hymen to be pure'... Women's groups previously warned of 'extreme sexual objectification of real dolls'... Experts say "It reflects a desire to control women's bodies that can be violated at any time."

Real dolls sold on the market. The photo is not related to any specific expression in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] Some real doll companies are allowing customers to select the presence or absence of a female hymen as a purchase option, raising concerns about misogyny. Additionally, the term 'hymen' is labeled as 'virgin membrane,' reflecting some men's mistaken view that a woman must have a hymen to be pure, which critics say is directly mirrored in the real dolls. Experts criticize that adult products used by men focus on dominating the female body.

One real doll company offers the option to choose the presence of a female hymen as a sales option. The hymen is described as a 'virgin membrane.' If men select the option with a hymen, the purchase price increases.

As a result, women are criticizing that real dolls are not just simple sex toys for men but are extremely degrading to women. The labeling of the hymen as a virgin membrane and the reflection of some men's view that a woman must have a hymen to be pure in the real dolls have been pointed out.

A woman in her 20s, a university student named Lee, said, "There has been much criticism that real dolls are not simply sex toys," adding, "In the end, they are reproducing the female hymen for money." She expressed anger, saying, "This situation proves that real dolls are tools that reinforce men's distorted views of women," and raised her voice, calling for urgent measures to regulate real doll sales.

A woman in her 30s, office worker Kim, also strongly criticized. Kim said, "Ultimately, real dolls, which are considered simple sex toys, are being used as tools for men's fantasies by including the hymen," and criticized, "The fact that real doll companies allow customers to select this option and sell it at a higher price is not only disrespectful to women but also a serious form of misogyny."

On the afternoon of September 28 last year, participants shouted slogans at the "Protest Against the Ruling Allowing Real Doll Imports" held at Cheonggye Plaza in Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Earlier, women's groups expressed concerns that the sale of real dolls could encourage extreme sexual objectification of women. A Blue House petition calling for a ban on real doll sales posted last July garnered over 200,000 signatures.

The petitioner urged, "People who use tools that have women's faces and bodies but do not move and can be used sexually at will?can they really see actual women as human beings?" and called for "a ban on the import and sale of real dolls."

The controversy over misogyny triggered by real dolls is not new. In the past, a company A that entered a major online shopping mall sold real dolls labeled as 'sex dolls.' This company promoted the real dolls as being 120 cm tall.

A height of 120 cm corresponds to the level of a first or second grader in elementary school. Essentially, it is an '8-year-old girl real doll.' People who purchase this real doll can be seen as using a doll resembling an elementary school student to satisfy their sexual desires. The company reportedly stopped sales amid ongoing controversy.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Various issues related to real dolls are occurring not only in Korea but also internationally. In April, a BBC report from the UK exposing real doll transactions on the Amazon website quoted Anne Longfield, Chair of the Children's Commission, who said, "These dolls made to look like children are disgusting." She added, "The dolls are clearly made for one purpose. Because of that purpose, the safety of real children could be threatened."

The UK's National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children stated, "The claim that using dolls can prevent potential child abuse crimes is unfounded," and pointed out, "Until relevant laws are enacted, companies like Amazon should refuse to sell immoral dolls."

Experts point out that real dolls ultimately focus on dominating the female body from a male perspective. According to a paper titled 'Real Dolls, Eroticism of Domination' presented by Professor Yoon Ji-young of Konkuk University's Body Culture Research Institute at an academic conference co-hosted with Ewha Womans University's Ewha Institute for the Humanities in October last year, Professor Yoon criticized that real dolls reflect men's distorted views of women.

Professor Yoon said, "Adult products for women do not aim to perfectly replicate the male body," adding, "If women use devices to focus on what their own bodies feel, adult products for men like real dolls focus on dominating the female body, which is a clear difference."

Regarding sexual relief using real dolls, Professor Yoon defined it as "a will to dominate a passive and always vulnerable female body." She further pointed out, "The fact that the female body is shaped as a tool for men's treatment and sexual relief is not considered at all in terms of what kind of personal violation or psychological and physical harm it causes women, or how it can be a traumatic factor in some aspects."