Leading South Korea club FC Seoul apologised to fans after inadvertently substituting supporters in the stands with sex dolls during their 1-0 win over Gwangju FC on Sunday.

While the season started on May 8, fans are not yet allowed in stadiums because of the coronavirus outbreak.

For Seoul's first home game, around 20 mannequins, many holding banners and all wearing masks, were spaced evenly around the seats behind the goal usually occupied by the club's most active fans.

As the game progressed, however, Korean social media started to light up as it became apparent to viewers that these mannequins, supplied by a local company, Dalkom, whose CEO is a Seoul fan, looked very much like sex dolls.

In addition, some mannequins held signs offering messages of support to players and the team that seemed to reference adult content streaming sites.

Seoul said there had been a misunderstanding with the supplier, and it had been told the dolls were not for adult use.