continuation of the tattooing
This is an edit, sort of, of the previous tattooing entry that I posted.
I received some feedback from haxi and decided to write something more to make myself justifiable.
I’ve decided that for the purpose of getting tattoos and being a tattoo artist in Korea, tattooing is still illegal.
- There is no law regarding Tattooing in Korea.
- However, there are some laws regarding needles.
- Using of a needle should only be done by doctors
- This actually derives from some law claiming that you aren’t allowed to apply medicine to someone else unless you’re a doctor. Apparently for that sake, taking things to the extreme, applying medicine on your son’s knee when he stumbles, is also illegal. Technically speaking.
- Tattooing, is not an application of medicine, so there is some uproar.
- Regardless, it uses needles.
- Therefore, doctors can be the only legal tattooists.
- However, doctors don’t do tattoos.
- The only tattoo they do would be “permanent make-up” regarding eyebrows and such.
- However, there is another statement, claiming that there indeed are people with doctor’s license performing tattoos.
- And such doctors are trying their best to monopolize the job and keep it to themselves. From this, pressure on the government.
Now this derives off to other completely random stuff that is out of the scope of this blog entry.
But for the purpose of this discussion, tattoo artists in Korea should have a doctor’s license to do the job, only because they deal with needles; nothing to do with the tattoo itself. However, it seems safe to assume that most tattoo artists don’t have a doctor’s license.
Hence tattooing (if you want to get one in Korea) is an illegal action.
One more side note. People’s views toward tattoos aren’t that great in Korea either (unless you’re the new age youngsters). Reasons?
- Many gangsters had tattoos to symbolize that they have been marked and will commit to the group.
- Against Confucian belief of our bodies given from ancestors. And therefore, shouldn’t be modified or damaged.
Anyway… This was one long post that I’ve done in a while.
