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Tattooing by nonmedical professionals set to become legal

Published: 27 Aug. 2025, 18:08 Updated: 27 Aug. 2025, 18:49

A tattoo artist works on a design at a shop in Seoul on Aug. 27. [YONHAP]

Tattooing by nonmedical professionals, which has been illegal in Korea for 33 years, is set to become legal.

On Wednesday, the National Assembly’s Health and Welfare Committee passed the so-called Tattooist Act, which creates a licensing system for professional tattoo artists.

If the bill clears the Legislation and Judiciary Committee and the full Assembly, nonmedical practitioners will be able to obtain licenses for tattooing after passing a national exam.

The Supreme Court ruled in 1992 that tattooing constitutes a medical procedure, which made tattooing by nonmedical practitioners punishable under the Medical Service Act.

However, demand for tattoos has surged, and most tattoo artists are not doctors.

Critics have long argued that the law is out of step with reality and that banning nonmedical tattooing has created a legal blind spot that leaves hygiene and safety issues unregulated.

Members of the Korea Tattoo Federation hold a press conference in front of the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Aug. 27, calling for the legalization of tattooing and staging a performance against illegal practices. [YONHAP]

The Tattooist Act grants the legal title of tattoo artist only to those who pass the state exam and requires tattoo parlors to register with local governments after meeting certain standards.

Tattoo artists will still be banned from performing tattoo removal or operating outside licensed establishments. They must undergo annual training in hygiene and safety, explain possible side effects to clients and report them when they occur. They will also be required to carry liability insurance to cover potential damages. The law will take effect two years after its promulgation.

Rep. Park Ju-min of the Democratic Party, chair of the Health and Welfare Committee and sponsor of the bill, wrote on Facebook that he will do his best "to see this law through to ensure tattoos are regulated under the law and system, guaranteeing public safety.”

The medical community remains opposed.

The Korean Medical Association said in a briefing on Aug. 21 that "tattooing involves penetrating the skin to inject permanent pigments into the body, which is a medical procedure."

"Allowing nonmedical professionals to perform it is an irresponsible lawmaking move that puts public health at risk," the association said.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY NAM SOO-HYOUN [[email protected]]