After opening the door in the middle of the school district in Giheung-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, the so-called'Real Doll Experience Room', which faced fierce opposition from the local community, told the educational authorities that it would voluntarily close its business.
Today (13th), the Gyeonggi Yongin Education Support Office announced that it had received a voluntary closing intention from the company A, who is accused of violating the Education Environment Protection Act, saying, "I will close the door after lowering the signage and removing my luggage."
Earlier, the Office of Education was scheduled to conduct an on-site inspection today and report a complaint to the police when a business designated as a prohibited facility was created within 200m of the border between elementary schools and kindergartens.
An official from the Office of Education said, "As the business said it would close first, the accusation was decided after observing the progress," he said. "I told him to close the business as soon as possible."
The establishment has faced backlash from neighboring parents by posting signs last week on buildings in the district with around 10 kindergartens and elementary, middle, and high schools in all directions.
In an interview with SBS, one parent worried that "there are several children-only libraries, reading rooms, and academies in the same building, and the apartment is right next to it, so I am afraid that it will have a negative impact on education."
On the 10th, the Yongin City Hall civic petition posted a message stating,'I am requesting the cancellation of the permission of the Real Doll Experience Center for facilities for youths', and as of 4 p.m. today, more than 40,000 people agreed.
However, unlike the contents of the citizen petition, the Real Doll Experience Room is classified as a free business that does not require local government's license.
The person in charge of Yongin City Hall said, "In this case, because it is in the educational environment protection zone, it could be sanctioned, but the Real Doll Experience Room is in the blind spot of regulation." We need relevant legislation.”