Some Real Doll Vaginas Sold... Labeled as 'Cheonyeomak' (Hymen)
Criticism of Some Men Reflecting the View That 'Women Must Have a Hymen to Be Pure'
Park Seongmin: "Real Dolls Seriously Sexualize Women... Need Multidimensional Review"
Real dolls sold on the market. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] Amid growing controversy over women's human rights violations caused by real dolls, with some real doll companies recently producing and selling female 'hymens,' the National Assembly is expected to hold comprehensive discussions on real dolls.
This comes just one day after this publication reported that real dolls could ultimately lead some men to view women as extreme sexual objects. (Related article | [Exclusive] "Choose the hymen" Real dolls offer female hymen as an option... Concerns over misogyny])
Park Sung-min, Supreme Council Member of the Democratic Party of Korea, emphasized on the 27th the need for National Assembly-level discussions and the establishment of standards regarding adult product 'real dolls.' Park was appointed as a nominated Supreme Council Member by Democratic Party leader Lee Nak-yeon.
At the Supreme Council meeting that day, Park said, "Some criticize that treating real dolls simply as adult products and involving laws and regulations in personal matters is excessive, but real dolls are intricately replicating women's bodies."
He continued, "Some options even allow buyers to select female hymens, and choosing these options reportedly increases the purchase price. There is also the problem of about 86 illegal officetel real doll experience rooms operating nationwide, resembling illegal prostitution, which was pointed out during this year's National Assembly audit," he criticized.
Park emphasized, "Last year, the Supreme Court ruled that real dolls do not seriously violate human dignity and value, but our society needs to discuss whether real dolls should be regarded as part of the sexual and personal domain in a situation where women are sexually objectified."
He added, "At the National Assembly level, where laws and systems create order, such discussions need to be seriously reviewed from multiple perspectives. Considering various aspects such as our society's sexual norms and culture, this concern should no longer be postponed."
Real dolls have continuously been criticized for violating women's human rights. From real dolls modeled after elementary school children's bodies to so-called 'customized real dolls' that replicate specific women's faces and bodies, they have been clearly criticized for infringing on women's rights.
In the past, one company sold a 'sex doll' with a height of 120 cm, equivalent to an elementary school student. It was effectively an '8-year-old child real doll,' drawing criticism for child abuse and for catering to sexual fantasies about children. The company reportedly stopped sales amid ongoing controversy.
Additionally, there have been major social controversies where men ordering real dolls provide companies with facial and body information of women they know, and the companies produce real dolls exactly as requested. Women expressed anger, saying, "If my face becomes a real doll without my knowledge, who will take responsibility for the psychological shock?"
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]
Given this situation, women define these real dolls as 'rape dolls' and demand not only distribution bans but also a complete halt to production.
It is pointed out that real dolls reflect distorted views of women and serve to satisfy personal desires. Issues such as gender discrimination, sexual objectification, and sexual violence can be carried out unabated in front of real dolls, ultimately leading to the degradation of women's human rights. Real dolls are not merely tools for sexual pleasure.
As the National Assembly prepares to start comprehensive discussions on real dolls, other countries have already established and are enforcing various regulations on real dolls.
For example, the UK imposes up to 12 months imprisonment for distributing or purchasing 'child real dolls,' which have been problematic. Canada and Norway also prohibit possession and purchase of child real dolls.
Moreover, in June 2018, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the so-called 'CREEPER Act,' banning real dolls and sex robots resembling children. The House judged that "possession of obscene dolls or robots is linked to child pornography consumption" and that "dolls or robots can be used as tools for rapists to practice suppressing victims' resistance."
A man is looking at a real doll. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [EPA=Yonhap News archive photo]
South Korea has already raised various issues regarding real dolls. In September last year, the National Assembly Legislative Research Office stated the need for regulation and punishment concerning the production, possession, and distribution of real dolls.
However, practical discussions and legislative amendments at the National Assembly level remain minimal, so the Democratic Party's upcoming comprehensive discussion on real dolls is attracting more attention.
Jeon Yoon-jung, Legislative Researcher of the Health, Welfare, and Women’s Team, stated in a report, "Referring to cases from overseas countries, it is necessary to specifically regulate and punish the production, possession, sale, and distribution of adult dolls depicting children and adolescents, along with conducting surveys for child and adolescent protection." She also noted that regulations on production, sale, and distribution should be considered for real dolls made by replicating specific individuals' appearances.
Jeon suggested, "Controversies over whether to regulate full-body adult dolls raise various issues in terms of our society's sexual norms and culture, women's human rights, individual personality rights, and child and adolescent protection. It is a time when careful and rational measures are needed."
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