South Korean Soccer Team Accused of Putting Sex Dolls in Stadium Seats To Simulate Fans

A South Korean team put sex dolls in empty seats. Here is an excerpt from an article on SFGate:

Kim Tong-hyung, Associated Press

Updated 4:55 am PDT, Monday, May 18, 2020

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A South Korean soccer club has apologized after being accused of putting sex dolls in empty seats during a match.

FC Seoul expressed “sincere remorse” over the controversy, but insisted in a statement that it used mannequins — not sex dolls — to mimic a home crowd during Sunday's 1-0 win over Gwangju FC at the Seoul World Cup Stadium.

Following a weeks-long delay because of the coronavirus pandemic, the K-League returned to action on May 8 without spectators, days after professional baseball began under similar conditions. The leagues plan to play in empty stadiums until the risks of coronavirus infections are lowered.

With players competing in front of rows of empty seats, some soccer and baseball teams have been trying to create a festive and humorous atmosphere that involves filling stands with huge team banners, pictures of mask-wearing fans, or even vegetables.

FC Seoul said it was attempting to add “an element of fun” with the mannequins. The team said it was repeatedly reassured by Dalkom, the company that produced the mannequins, that they weren’t sexual products.

But when providing its products for the stadium, Dalkom reused some of the mannequins it previously supplied to another company, FC Seoul said.

The club's statement didn’t directly address criticism of why it chose to work with Dalkom, which does manufacture sex dolls, according to the company’s website, or why nearly all the mannequins at the stadium were female in design.