Goyan (AP) in Korea – As a popular tattoo artist in Korea, Sung Jaemin was fully booked a few weeks ago and is highly respected by his clients. However, every time a song invites someone, he commits a crime because it is illegal to get a tattoo in Korea without a medical license.
“Even though I knew it was illegal, I started this, but I was sure the legal restrictions would ease and things would change,” he said in a recent interview with Seoul in his studio in Goyang, near Seoul. “Many tattoo artists believe we’re not doing anything illegal and there’s no law for us.”
Song predictions can quickly become reality. South Korean parliament is expected to soon pass a landmark bill that will allow non-medical personnel to get tattoos.
The passage of tattooist acts will mark the victory of tens of thousands of tattooists in Korea. They used assembly, constitutional appeals and other means to override the decades-long ban on their work. Their fight gained strength as the national sentiment towards tattoos evolved.
“They’re looking for a lot of different things,” said Kim Sean, 45, who runs a cosmetic tattoo studio in Hanham City.
Controversial no-no
In Korea, past tattoos have been associated with gangs and criminals, but have gradually become accepted as a form of self-expression. Now it’s easy to find people in all fields with tattoos, including Jungkook from BTS, Chaeyoung from Twice, and K-pop stars like Bigbang’s G-Dragon.
Experts estimate that millions of Koreans have tattoos. About 70% of these are cosmetic tattoos with half a multitude of brows, eyeliner, lips or scalp.
Despite widespread adoption of tattoos, South Korea still has authorized physicians only officially permitted, in line with the 1992 Supreme Court ruling that considered tattoos a treatment, citing the potential health risks caused by tattoo needles and inks.
South Korea remains the only developed country with such regulations. Tattoo artists face 50 million fines ($35,740) when 50 million people are fined in prisons for up to five years. However, the government is not actively enforcing these rules and allows tattooists to thrive in the shadows. A 2023 Ministry of Health survey found that only 1.4% of respondents with personal tattoos and 6.8% of cosmetic tattoos said they had ink in their hospitals.
“I think that’s pointless… lawmakers, celebrities and a lot of people around me have tattoos. But if it’s really illegal, am I a law violator?” asked Kim So-young, 54, a client at Kim Shaw-woon’s studio.
Song, who won the top prize at the 2023 National Tattoo Conference, said his clients include police officers, civil servants, soldiers and the US military stationed in South Korea. He said some of his clients traveled from China, the UK, Malaysia and Iraq.
Fear of punishment
In recent years, judges have increasingly ruled out the issuance of or postponed rulings against tattoo artists as a way to protect them, but some taste gustists have been punished with fines. Lim Bolan, leader of the Korean Tattoo Federation, said he would urge tattoo artists to sue financial penalties in the High Court to strengthen their fight.
Tattoo artists fear that someone will report the illegal nature of their business to the authorities and be forced to investigate. Since then, some tattooists have put up with customers who either behave badly or run studios without signs. Some people have moved abroad for work.
Kim threatened someone nearby to report her business to authorities, and after fighting something unrelated six years ago she said “it’s going to destroy everything I have” and she said it was “really scary.” She said the conflict was finally settled, but she still remembers the panic that seized her.
Lim said some female tattooists suffer from sexual assault but did not report it to authorities because they are worried that they will lose their jobs.
Tattooist acts
The tattoo law, which becomes effective following a two-year grace period, focuses on the introduction of official licenses for tattoo artists. This process requires the throbbing family to take hygiene education courses every year at a government-designated location.
Lim said that while the law will be a welcome development, it will also put a burden on tattoo artists by putting them under government supervision.
There is bipartisan support for the law already approved by the Congressional Health Committee and the Judiciary Committee. The Ministry of Health says it supports the conduct, but opposition from doctors has weakened. Observers say the initial date possible for the passage of the law to be Thursday.
A meaningful work
Kim said that when customers look and look good and clean their work, they feel a sense of accomplishment. She said her memorable clients included cancer patients who had eyebrow tattoos before chemotherapy.
Song said he felt “incredible pride” in placing his work on the bodies of people he carries for life. He said the meaningful tattoos in his studio include works depicting the client’s late loved one.
“There are no limits to tattoos. You can do the same with the human body, whatever you draw on paper, carbon paper, walls, etc. There are really unlimited tattoo styles and artists,” Song said.
When an Associated Press journalist visited Song’s studio, he had put a final touch on the image forearm (age 37) of Jesus Christ.
“I have a photo of my body that I like, so I feel good,” Lee said. “However, my wife told me to stop getting a new one, so after this I can’t have a better tattoo.”
