Tattoos still taboo in Korea

By Joel Lee

Police raided an international tattoo convention in Seoul at the weekend to make it clear to everyone that tattooing is illegal in Korea.

The "Inkbomb Tattoo Convention" at WAV Bar and Bistro in Apgujeong June 28-29 was the seventh annual event embraced by tattoo artists, hip-hop artists, punk bands, cosmetic companies and other international performing artists.

The event's official website (www.inkbomb.co.kr) says the convention is the "best place to grasp the sub-cultural desires of contemporary young people."

On Sunday afternoon police ordered the artists to clear their stands where tattoo needles, ink and other equipment were displayed.

Allison Lee from Ilsan city told Groove Korea, a cultural magazine for expats and foreigners: "I find it astonishing that they have built this country to what it is but can't allow for a little bit of ink to be tattooed on consenting adults."

Martina Stawski of "Eat Your Kimchi" blog said, "In Korea, you can shave your jawbone, slice your eye socket open for bigger eyes, adjust your nose and breasts as you please, but drawing on your body is deemed crazy and illegal.

"This old-fashioned attitude needs to change, considering Korea openly supports other forms of body adjustment."

The tattoo artists, who came to Korea with a long list of appointments, reportedly had to move to undisclosed locations with their clients.

Korea and Japan are the only countries where tattooing is illegal. Under criminal and medical law, only licensed doctors can perform tattooing on their "patients."

Police routinely raid tattoo shops. Critics say the government's conservative stance is because of potential health risks from unregulated operations, doctors' vested interests, and "moral hazards."

The traditional Korean view is that tattooing should be taboo because gangsters or people trying to evade military conscription often tattooed their bodies. But the stereotype is disappearing, with more ordinary people choosing tattoos as a form of self-expression and a fashion statement.

It is common these days for Korean women to tattoo their name, or an expression, on their wrist, waist or top of their foot.

According to the "Association of Korean Tattooists," more than a million people in Korea have tattoos. There are many "illegal" tattoo shops in Seoul, concentrated in Hongdae and Itaewon.

Association president Jang Joon-hyuck told Joongang Ilbo, "Korean tattooists have good hands, so they're recognized globally like the break-dancers. But because it is illegal, it creates more problems in a shadowy area, well as being a blind spot for taxation."

Recently, there has been an effort to legalize the industry. New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD) representative Kim Choon-jin made a motion to legalize tattooing last December.

The proposed bill allows tattooing by licensed artists in government-recognized schools, and prohibits tattooing on underage individuals. But the medical associations say they oppose the bill because of potential health risks from bleeding, blood poisoning and tissue damage.

Tattoo artists say such risks are low with proper hygiene in place.

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