"Rape Doll" vs "Just a Sex Toy": Escalating Gender Conflict Over Adult Product Real Dolls

Court: "Real dolls are not items that harm public morals... Import allowed"

On the afternoon of September 28, 2019, participants are shouting slogans at the 'Protest Against the Ruling Allowing Real Doll Imports' held at Cheonggye Plaza in Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] As a court ruling declared that there is no issue with the import of real dolls (sex toys shaped similarly to the human body), conflicts between men and women surrounding this issue have intensified. Among women, there is strong condemnation, labeling them not just as simple real dolls but as 'rape dolls,' while some men express incomprehension.

Summarizing the women's claims, the use of real dolls leads to 'extreme sexual objectification.' For example, when a real doll is made to resemble a female acquaintance and used, it is considered an insult to that woman and an act that tramples on women's dignity. This is why women criticize real dolls as 'rape dolls.'

Kim, a woman in her 20s who heard about the court ruling, criticized, "It seems the judiciary lacks 'gender sensitivity.' There are real dolls that can be made to look exactly like someone else's face, and even real dolls resembling elementary school students."

She continued, "Recently, there are real dolls with vaginal membranes, and if you choose the vaginal membrane option, the price goes up. I want to ask if this is just a simple sex toy," expressing her outrage.

Some real doll companies offer the option to select a vaginal membrane as a sales option. The vaginal membrane is described as a 'hymen.' If a man chooses the option with a hymen, the purchase price increases.

Among women, there is criticism that this reflects some men's view of women as 'pure only if they have a hymen.' They also point out that the price increase itself when selecting the 'vaginal membrane' option during purchase is absurd.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Park, a woman in her 30s working at a company, said, "I cannot understand charging more for adding a vaginal membrane," and criticized, "In the end, isn't this a tool for men's misguided sexual desires? Real dolls are being used that way."

She raised her voice, saying, "If there were respect or consideration for women, such real dolls would not be produced or sold. This is the reality."

On the other hand, there are opinions that disagree. Kim, a man in his 40s working at a company, questioned, "Aren't real dolls just sex toys to satisfy sexual desires? Then shouldn't everyone be free to think whatever they want within that context?"

He emphasized, "Real dolls are the same. There are male and female versions, but I just think they are all the same real dolls."

Social controversies surrounding real dolls have continued. This is due to concerns that they may encourage extreme sexual objectification of women. In July 2019, a Blue House national petition calling for a ban on the sale of real dolls 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 sexually used at will?can they really see actual women as fellow human beings?" and demanded a ban on the import and sale of real dolls.

Real doll. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Experts point out that real dolls ultimately represent the domination of women's bodies from a male perspective. They criticize that real dolls are not simply sex toys but violate women's dignity.

Professor Yoon Ji-young of Konkuk University's Body Culture Research Institute noted in her paper "Real Dolls, Eroticism of Domination," "Female adult products do not aim to perfectly replicate the male body. If women use devices to focus on what their own bodies feel, male adult products like real dolls focus on dominating the female body, which is a clear difference."

She added, "The fact that women's bodies are shaped as instrumental objects for men's treatment and sexual desire relief is not considered at all in terms of what kind of personal infringement or psychological and physical harm it causes women, or how it can be a traumatic factor in some aspects," criticizing the issue.

Earlier, on the 25th, the Seoul Administrative Court (Administrative Division 5, Presiding Judge Park Yang-jun) ruled to cancel the decision by the Gimpo Airport Customs Director to withhold import clearance of an adult female full-body doll.

Company A, which imports and distributes adult products, attempted to import one real doll from a Chinese company in January last year, but Gimpo Airport Customs judged the product as an 'item violating public morals' and withheld clearance. Company A appealed the customs decision to the Commissioner of the Korea Customs Service, but as no conclusion was reached within the decision period, they filed a lawsuit to cancel the withholding decision.

The court ruled, "This item cannot be seen as explicitly depicting sexual organs or acts to the extent that it seriously damages or distorts human dignity and value," and judged, "It does not fall under items violating public morals."

Previously, the Supreme Court also ruled in June 2019 in favor of a real doll importer in a lawsuit against customs over withholding import clearance.