Despite Ban, Tattoo Artists Are Thriving in South Korea
SEOUL — In a plant-filled studio with large windows, Kim Do-yoon gives tattoos to clients who visit him in South Korea from around the world. An octopus with its tentacles unfurled, a delicate wildflower sweeping over a forearm, a portrait of a beloved pet.
Mr. Kim, known as Doy, is a favorite of celebrities, but he works discreetly. There is no sign advertising his studio. He screens customers carefully, rolls the blinds down during appointments and moves his shop about every two years.
In South Korea, his art is a crime. Under a ruling that has been in place since 1992, tattooing without a medical license can result in fines of up to $40,000 or even imprisonment. Opponents of decorative tattoos have invoked concerns about longstanding associations with organized crime, as well as fears about inadequate hygiene and potential harm inflicted by tattoo artists who may lack adequate skills.
Attempts to overturn this ban have repeatedly failed. In March, the Constitutional Court in Seoul reaffirmed the tattoo industry’s illegality in a 5-to-4 ruling. South Korean tattoo artists and customers believe that the ruling is at odds with reality, citing drastically changed social norms that have fostered a thriving underground industry.
South Korea remains one of the few countries where the artists are treated as criminals. Tens of thousands of them work in secret. Tattoo artists say the industry in Korea has exploded over the past decade.
“There’s just so many amazing artists in Korea, and social media allows you to pick through them and they’re easy to access,” said Sohyun Lim, a 38-year-old tattoo artist trainee in Seoul.
Social media has also spread trends, like the k-tattoo, the detailed, illustration-inspired tattoos that have become synonymous with Korean artists.
Top stars in South Korea, including Jungkook of the K-pop boy band BTS and the rapper Jay Park, have made tattoos more visible by displaying them when possible.
Mr. Park got his first tattoo a decade ago. He has since lost count of the number of tattoos he has gotten, he said.
“It was a shock to a lot of people at first,” Mr. Park, 35, said. “But as time went on and my career started to progress, I started to win people over despite my tattoos, and they started thinking it was cool.”
But he said there were some brands that likely viewed his tattoos as a liability, and that he, along with other stars, had to cover them when appearing on Korean TV.
In South Korea, tattoos have long had negative associations. They were once used to mark slaves and criminals and later adopted by gangsters.
Sanlee, who declined to give her last name, works as a tattoo artist in Seoul near an area known for trendy stores. She said she intended to show that tattoos were fashionable.
Customer requests have shifted, Mr. Kim said.
“When I started, people wanted tattoos to look braver,” he said. “Now, they want beautiful things.”
Kim Ae-min, a 38-year-old teacher in Dongducheon, has tattoos that he says honor his values. One arm is covered with various Shakespearan themes. He’s now getting a back tattoo of Venus, inspired by his wife. He seldom exposes his tattoos, aware that others might not view his ink as art.
“I can’t wait for the moment where people feel safe or free to show their tattoos and express their feelings through tattoos,” he said.