South Korea: Legal loophole allows sex doll shops to open around schools

[BUtterfield 8 41,818]

The recent opening of sex doll experience shops near local schools is reigniting controversy over life-size sex objects, with many parents of students voicing concern over the adverse impact such facilities would have on their children. 

While objectors are even referring to the facilities as a "new form of sex trafficking," police and education officials are facing difficulties cracking down on them due to a lack of applicable laws.

According to police, sex doll experience shops or cafes are categorized as a "free business" type here, and thus do not require approval from local governments to open. They added that there are also no particular standards to regulate new businesses related to sex dolls.

Last Friday, police received a report that a sex doll experience shop had opened in Seoul's Jongno District.

The shop, which was located near two high schools, was being promoted both online and offline as an "adult content experience shop."

When police officers visited the place, however, the shop owner said he was operating a "consulting company" for those who are seeking to run businesses related to sex dolls, adding his business was not a place where people could use sex dolls.

The Educational Environment Protection Act bans facilities that can have an adverse impact on students, such as adult entertainment establishments, from opening within a 200-meter radius of schools.

But police could not conclude whether the owner violated this law due to a lack evidence that people used sex dolls in the shop by paying a fee. Having sex dolls at the shop itself did not constitute the facility having an adverse impact on students, they added.

"There is no legal basis to crack down on sex doll experience facilities. We don't have a department in charge of overseeing such facilities, either," said an official at Jongno District Office. 

Education officials said they were aware of parents' concerns, but expressed a similar position, saying that apart from receiving reports, there is no particular method of limiting the opening of sex doll experience facilities near schools as they do not require approval.

A similar controversy arose earlier in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, after a citizen posted a petition on the city's website, April 10, calling for the closure of a sex doll experience cafe that was set to start business the next day near elementary and middle schools in the area.

The cafe eventually closed down just three days later amid strong protests from parents and residents.

In his reply to the petition, Yongin Mayor Baek Kun-ki said, "We had a talk with the owner of the cafe, and he agreed to close it and remove the shop's sign."

The sex doll issue has been a hot potato here since the Supreme Court ruled in June 2019 that sex dolls could be imported into Korea. At the time, the court said the use of sex dolls is in the realm of an individual's privacy, thus the government should not interfere with it.

Objectors claim that the dolls sexually objectify women, which could lead to an increase in sex crimes.

Source

[Bonkers 30,860]

ok wait.  so people are afraid that if high school students have access to sex dolls it will cause them to objectify women and then begin committing sex crimes?

lol.  what?   Whoever is making these laws needs to get out more.  

"If only that sex doll shop wasn't near my high school I would never have mistaken women for objects and therefore would not have violently sexually assaulted them.  Damn sex doll shops in proximity to my high school!!!  "

[Economy 52,860]

From my understanding they arent technically breaking any laws and thus cant be prossecuted... also the sex crime stuff is stupid

 

However i dont totally disagree opening up a type of sex shop next to a school is kinda weird to say the least...

 

Its not something id go out of my way to protest but i mean

[RadioIsOurs 13,876]

Fight for sex doll rights! 

[fishinmyhair 529]

Gagadoll is quaking

[Serial Chiller 8,044]

Guys if this isnt indication that Plastic Doll is coming REALLY soon I dont know what is. 

[PartySick 172,545]

There's some countries that have cigarette stands outside high schools

I say let the kids f*ck the dolls. Less accidental babies and STDs

[Gagas lil monster 2,432]

What else are kids meant to do on their lunch breaks?

Let them keep the damn blowup doll stores 

[dit 46,738]

how can kids even hide huge sex dolls? like what?!-  I had trouble sneaking in a cheeseburger at home so the idea that these high schoolers would buy giant sex dolls to bring home and play with without their parents knowing is really hard to understand. Like so what if these stores are near highschools? at the end of the day kids cant just buy one and bring it home without a parent knowing and I'd assume that most parents would ban sex dolls in their homes so it's really a non-issue lol

[Guest]

Lmao. It’s a sex shop, not a pedophile. Chill out. 

[Gagaloo911 12,959]

Chile

[Quartz 12,762]

I wanna see what these shops look like