South Korea's tattoo artists can work legally after 34 years

Kim Tae-nam stood on a roof in Seoul and smiled. His job was no longer against the law. "Tattoos are art!" he told the crowd. More than 90 tattoo artists came to the party in the Seongsu area of Seoul to celebrate.

For 34 years, only doctors with a medical licence could give tattoos in South Korea. The rule was made because people worried about health and safety. If an artist was caught, they could go to prison for up to five years or pay a very large fine. South Korea was the only rich country with this rule. Even so, about 350,000 people worked as tattoo artists, government numbers from 2021 show.

Because the work was illegal, artists hid. Kim Tae-nam started in 2004. His first small studio was in a basement. It had no sign, and only people he invited could come. In 2008 he started a tattoo event called Ink Bomb, but the police closed it every time.

In September, lawmakers made tattooing by people who are not doctors legal. Then the top court threw out an old ruling from 1992. Life is easier now, but not perfect. Some gyms and baths still say no to tattoos, and a tattoo can make a job interview harder. Next year, the health ministry will start a test so artists can get a licence.

Japan is similar. In 2020, its top court said that tattooing is not a medical act, meaning it is not only for doctors. But many baths and gyms in Japan still ban tattoos.