Tattoo laws come as a surprise to some international students

Johannes Krause, a German who studies at Hongik University in Seoul, said that back in his home country, tattoos are considered culturally acceptable. What he noticed in Korea, however, was vastly different.

A tattoo artist inks a client in Goyang, Gyeonggi. Many international students who arrive in Korea influenced by K-pop and K-dramas find the country’s conservative cultural attitudes toward tattoos surprising. [JEONG JUN-HEE]

Before arriving in Korea, many international students learn about Korean culture through K-dramas and K-pop or content made by creators living in Korea. Despite this exposure, experiencing or witnessing some conservative aspects of Korean culture might come as a surprise.

One such example is the views and laws regarding tattoos.

Johannes Krause, a German who studies at Hongik University in Seoul, said that back in his home country, tattoos are considered culturally acceptable with many people opting to get tattooed at some point in their lives.

What he noticed in Korea, however, was vastly different.

Even though tattooing has become more popular among the younger generation in Korea, Krause believes many Koreans are still reluctant to get tattooed due to a fear of going against their parents.

“In Korea, parents have a say over what [their] children do way into their 20s and sometimes even 30s,” said Krause, who got five tattoos in Korea.

“Some Korean friends of mine told me that they could not get [a tattoo] because of what their family would think. This also exists in Germany but is really rare, especially when you’re above 20 years old.”

Maraya Yuli, an Indonesian student at Dong-Ah Institute of Media and Arts in Anseong, Gyeonggi, said she, too, was surprised by Korea’s conservative attitude toward tattooing given the ever-growing Western influence in the country.

But it is not too far removed from other Asian ideals.

In Indonesia, where the majority of the population follow Islam, which forbids tattoos, people tend to have negative stereotypes around tattoos as they are mostly associated with sin and crime, she said.

“If we look at dramas or movies, tattooed people are often portrayed as the antagonists or thugs,” said Yuli. “I think that’s also one of the reasons why tattooed people have bad stereotypical images in society.”

Tajikistan views tattoos negatively, too, said Nodira Maqsudova, a Tajik who attends Kookmin University in Seoul. The key difference between her homeland and Korea, though, is that the younger generation here seems more tolerant of tattoos, whereas in Tajikistan, that is not the case.

“However, I still think that if you compare the young generation in Korea and let’s say the Western world, the Korean youth is still comparatively conservative toward tattoos,” said Maqsudova.

What’s more unexpected for many international students when it comes to tattoos is the laws.

Getting a tattoo isn’t illegal in Korea, but under Korea’s legal system, it’s considered a medical practice and can only be carried out by tattooists with a medical license. Anyone who violates this law can face at least two years in prison and up to 10 million won ($7,600) in fines.

Renowned celebrity tattooist Kim Do-yoon, who doesn’t have a medical license, was fined 5 million won by a Seoul court last year, sparking a nationwide debate on tattoo legalization.

While these restrictions were initially intended to protect clients from any harmful complications when getting ink injected into their skin, they seem to be doing more harm than good.

Today, tattooists generally work illegally and change locations frequently to avoid getting tracked down by authorities. The responsibility for ensuring hygiene and safety measures within the tattoo community in Korea rests solely with the tattoo artists, which could cause problems if proper guidelines are not enforced.

“Nobody studies medicine and then becomes a tattooist,” said Krause. “The whole process of getting a tattoo [in Korea] was very strange, as the time was decided over KakaoTalk and the address was communicated just a few minutes before the appointment. The location of his studio changed every single time I got a tattoo.”

Not all international students agree with Krause.

Yuli said she believes medical licenses should remain a requirement for tattooists in Korea, given the nature of the procedure.

“If [tattooing is] not done with the correct procedure,” she said, “the resulting effects could be dangerous and life-threatening.”

BY STUDENT REPORTER ALIZA KHAN [kjd.kcampus@joongang.co.kr]