A tattoo artist diligently crafts a tattoo in their studio located in Seoul, South Korea. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Sept. 10 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea is poised to legalize tattooing by non-medical practitioners for the first time in more than three decades, after a legislative committee approved a bill that would formally recognize tattoo artists as licensed professionals.
The Legislation and Judiciary Committee of the National Assembly passed the so-called Tattooist Act on Wednesday. If the bill clears a plenary vote later this month as expected, tattooing will be legalized for the first time since a 1992 Supreme Court ruling classified it as a medical procedure, leaving non-doctor tattooists vulnerable to prosecution.
The legislation establishes “tattooist” as an official profession, requiring practitioners to pass a certification exam and undergo annual hygiene and safety training. Tattoo parlors will have to register with local authorities such as mayors or district chiefs before opening.
The image shows a tattooist inking a tattoo on a customer’s forearm at a studio in Seoul. (Yonhap)
Representative Park Ju-min, who spearheaded the bill, welcomed the move, saying it would bring an underground industry into the regulatory fold. “Tattooists who have existed in the shadows can now work openly,” Park wrote on Facebook. “Tattooing will no longer be illegal but safely and legitimately managed, becoming a proud ‘K-tattoo’ industry.”
The measure marks a milestone for a profession that has long operated informally despite growing mainstream popularity, especially among younger South Koreans and global pop culture audiences influenced by K-pop and Korean fashion.
In the same session, lawmakers also approved the creation of a National Center for Lifelong Education for the Disabled, which will support lifelong learning programs and introduce new professional certifications.
Other contentious proposals — including amendments to restrict parole for those convicted of treason and espionage, and to broaden prosecutors’ powers in national security cases — were sent back to subcommittees for further review.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
