South Korea is shedding its long-held taboo against tattoos. The country's National Assembly passed a bill Thursday that will legalize widespread tattooing, lifting decades-old restrictions that pushed the industry underground. Getting a tattoo has never been illegal, but since 1992, it's been considered a medical procedure, meaning only licensed doctors could legally administer them, with artists risking hefty fines and up to five years in prison, reports the BBC and New York Times. The new law, expected to be signed within the next two weeks by President Lee Jae Myung, will allow an estimated 350,000 underground tattoo artists to operate in the open after obtaining a government-issued license. Studios will also have to upgrade their health and safety standards.
The move marks a big shift for a country where tattoos were once used as marks of shame or criminality. Facial branding was used on convicts during the Koryo dynasty, and 20th-century gangs adopted body art as a badge of membership. Despite the stigma, government estimates suggest over a million people in the country have inked bodies—though public figures are known to cover their body art on TV. "Now we can be proud of what we do," a tattoo parlor manager in Seoul tells the Times. Some lawmakers and doctors remain wary, citing health concerns. But supporters see the shift as overdue. President Lee, fresh off a special election win, had made a campaign promise to legalize artist tattooing as far back as 2022.
Once passed, the new law will not take effect for two years, allowing artists time to pass a national exam and complete other necessary training, the BBC reports. Medical professionals will still be required for tattoo removals moving forward.
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