Korea moves closer to legalizing nonmedical tattooing after 33-year ban

Tattooists hold a press conference in front of the National Assembly in Seoul, Monday, urging the swift passage of the bill seeking to legalize tattooing by nonmedical professionals. Korea Times photo by Lee Hae-rin

Korea is on the verge of ending its decades-long ban on tattooing by nonmedical professionals, with a landmark bill set for debate in the National Assembly later this month which could transform an underground art form into a regulated, recognized profession.

Tattooists from across the nation and union leaders rallied outside the National Assembly in Seoul, Monday, urging lawmakers to pass the proposed Tattooist Act ― a legislative bill that, after decades of prohibition and legal wrangling, could finally legalize professional tattooing by people other than medical doctors in Korea.

The revision bill will be formally brought forward for discussion in a legislative subcommittee of the Assembly again on Aug. 20 after previous botched attempts to pass the idea into law.

“For 33 years, our work has been treated as a crime,” said Lee So-mi, vice chair of the Tattoo Union under the Federation of Korean Chemical and Textile Food Workers’ Union.

“We are asking the National Assembly to recognize our sacred right to labor and protect the safety of 13 million tattoo consumers. It’s time to end a legal vacuum and finally bring tattooists into the light,” Lee said in front of more than 70 tattooists gathered from all across the country, echoing a long history of social advocacy for the Korean tattoo community's distinctive struggle.

The path toward legitimacy for Korea’s tattoo artists has been a decades-long battle through courtrooms and parliamentary chambers. Since a 1992 court decision placed tattooing under the Medical Services Act — effectively criminalizing any tattooing done by people without a medical degree — tattooists without a doctor's license have routinely faced fines and even prison sentences. Tattoo artists filed constitutional petitions to challenge the law, but the Constitutional Court upheld the ban in a narrow 5-4 split decision in 2022.

The dissenting justices highlighted how tattooing differs fundamentally from other medical acts. However, bills to legalize tattooing have repeatedly stalled in the Assembly, mostly due to strong opposition from doctors' groups.

Many tattooists hope this time will be different. President Lee made legalizing tattooing a campaign pledge during his 2022 presidential campaign and the mood appears to be shifting in the Assembly, too, with both ruling and opposition lawmakers proposing their versions of such bills.

Members of a tattooist union hold a protest calling for the legalization of tattooing by people without medical degrees in front of Daegu District Court, May 9, 2024. Newsis

The latest draft of the Tattooist Act, which combined the bills proposed by rival parties and became in line with global norms after years of collaboration between tattooists and lawmakers, directly breaks with decades of criminalization by allowing for the certification of tattooists, after passing a national exam and receiving health ministry licensing.

For the safety of service consumers, the bill also requires government oversight on hygiene and licensure through a national system. It also bans tattooists from offering laser tattoo removal services, among other rules.

Rep. Park Ju-min of the Democratic Party of Korea holds a press conference with tattooists at the National Assembly in Seoul, Jan. 21, to urge the passage of the Tattooist Act. Newsis

“We promise to fully implement infection-control guidelines,” Lee said, vowing rigorous self-regulation and expanded educational outreach, especially to prevent tattooing of minors and unsafe procedures, calling to “end a 33-year policy failure" that drove the tattoo community underground despite Korea’s global cultural ascendancy.

In recent years, many Korean tattoo artists have grown international fanbases for their artistry and technical skills, garnering clients from around the world, collaborated with global fashion brands and found millions of followers on social media. Many in the industry have won design awards and been featured in foreign publications, even while unable to practice legally under their own names at home.

“Our work is celebrated across the globe, yet still criminalized in Korea,” Seoul-based tattooist Noya said. “Our craft is part of modern Korean culture, yet our working conditions lag far behind … We are ready to ensure that health and creativity thrive together.”

Members of the Tattoo Union and the Federation of Korean Chemical and Textile Food Workers’ Union pose during a press conference in front of the National Assembly in Seoul, Monday, urging the swift passage of the Tattooist Act, which will legalize tattooing by people without medical degrees. Korea Times photo by Lee Hae-rin