The signature of nearly 250,000 people was collected, exceeding the threshold for the President’s Office to respond to the matter.
Although sex dolls are not illegal in Korea, government customs agencies have prevented their imports based on laws that restrict material that “breaks public morals”.
However, the Seoul High Court said in January that sex dolls are for personal use and should be treated differently from pornography, while pornography is strictly restricted by Korean law. The Supreme Court upheld this decision in June.
The ruling sparked a strong protest and submitted a petition to the President Blue Palace, collecting more than 237,000 signatures. The unidentified author of the petition believes that a large number of imported dolls may lead to an increase in sexual crimes.
A spokesman for the main customs in Incheon said they allowed imports from Japan but are still reviewing whether to import imported dolls from China.
The owner of the distribution company questioned the earlier customs agency ruling that the total number of sex dolls imported into Korea could not be provided.
But Lee said that since the court’s ruling, “many people” have gone abroad to play with dolls. Lee is a subsidiary of MSJL Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of MSJL Co. Ltd.
Life-size dolls can cost between 1 million won ($840) and 20 million won ($16,750) depending on options such as silicon skin, eye color and body heating system, making them more human.
The author of the petition believes that the customizable features of some dolls can be used to create a copy of a real character, a concern that Lee believes is unfounded.