FC Seoul face being evicted from stadium after record fine for putting sex dolls in empty stands

The club were forced to apologise after placing around 20 dolls in the stands last weekend

South Korean side FC Seoul have been fined a record 100 million Korean won (£66.5k) for “damaging the prestige and integrity” of the K-League after using sex dolls instead of mannequins to fill empty seats at their stadium.

The club were forced to apologise after placing around 20 dolls in the stands last weekend to make up for the absence of their fans due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic restrictions.

Viewers watching on television quickly spotted that the figures looked more like sex dolls than mannequins, and that some were holding placards advertising an adult toy manufacturer.

K-League regulations forbid forbid inappropriate or sexual advertisements with the club being hit by a record fine, according to ESPN.

The club have already disciplined its staff involved in the mishap, declined to appeal the punishment and said they “humbly accepted” the ruling.

Mannequins are displayed at a FC Seoul football match (YONHAP/AFP via Getty Images)

However, a fine could be the least of the club’s problems according to newspaper Kookmin Ilbo, who have reported that Seoul Facilities Corporation, the body that operates Seoul World Cup Stadium, is also investigating the incident.

An official for the corporation was quoted as saying that the club is required to obtain advance permission for any advertising in the arena and could face further punishment, including expulsion from the 66,000-capacity stadium.

“That would be the most serious measure,” the official said. “We will review the incident and then decide what to do.”

Seoul, who beat Gwangju 1-0, could be docked a minimum of five points or face a fine of over £3,300, the Yonhap news agency said.

The club apologised on Monday, saying they had failed to check the consignment sent by the supplier and that they were not aware the dolls were adult products.

“We would like to apologise to the fans,” the club said in a statement.

“We are very sorry about the supporting mannequins that were placed during the game on May 17. These mannequins may have been made to look and feel like real humans but they are not for sexual use -- as confirmed by the manufacturer from the beginning.

“Our intention was to do something lighthearted in these difficult times. We will think hard about what we need to do to ensure that something like this never happens again.” Additional reporting by Reuters