



By Jung Min-ho







A group of lawmakers has proposed a bill to ban the import and sale of child sex dolls.







Eleven members of the National Assembly, led by Rep. Jeong In-hwa of the minor opposition Party for Democracy and Peace, proposed a bill last week to ban the import and sale of child sex dolls. The bill also aims to prohibit the transport and possession of such items.





The move came a week after more than 200,000 people signed

against the import of life-size sex dolls, following the Supreme Court's controversial ruling in late June to uphold a lower court's decision to allow such dolls into Korea.







"Although the court's decision for the people's rights to self-determination in sexual matters should be respected, there should also be protection for children," Jeong said in a statement. "Children should not be sexually objectified."







The bill defines child sex dolls as "toys, dolls or other items made for sexual pleasure, which can clearly be perceived as a child."







If the assembly passes the bill, manufacturers, importers and exporters of such items could face up to three years in prison; sellers, distributors and advertisers could face a maximum sentence of five years; people who possess them could face a fine of up to 10 million won ($8,300).







How the law should deal with child sex dolls has become a worldwide issue.





Last year, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill, known as

, which would ban the import or transport of "child sex dolls," which the bill defined as "an anatomically-correct doll, mannequin, or robot, with the features of, or with features that resemble those of, a minor, intended for use in sexual acts." The bill was sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee, but it has not advanced from there.







In

it is reportedly illegal to import a child sex doll, but it is not illegal to own one.







Under

, the definition of child pornography covers any materials that depict or describe, for sexual purposes, a person under 18 years old.

