Korean soccer club apologizes for filling empty stands with sex dolls

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South Korean club FC Seoul issued an apology Monday for filling empty seats with sex dolls ahead of their victory over Gwangju FC on Sunday.

"We would like to apologize to the fans," Seoul said in a statement, as translated by John Duerden of ESPN FC.

The club added, "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."

Seoul insisted the manufacturer told them that sex dolls would not be provided.

"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," the club said.

As Sunday's match progressed behind closed doors due to the coronavirus, viewers on social media realized that "fans" in the stands resembled sex dolls, which were produced by local company Dalkom, whose CEO is a Seoul fan.

It's yet to be determined if the K League will discipline the club.