Q: I am interested in getting a tattoo. However, I was recently told that it is illegal to get a tattoo in Korea. Is that true?

A: Getting a tattoo in Korea is not illegal. So if you want one, you can get one.

But here’s the catch.

It is illegal to get a tattoo from an artist who does not have a medical license.

You may wonder… “will I get charged for getting a tattoo from an artist who is not a licensed medical professional?”

My answer to that is: No, I do not think you will get charged.

Instead, the tattoo artist who does not have a medical license will get fined. 

Tattoos are no longer taboo in Korea. And many tattoo artists have been voicing their opinions to help change this law.

But earlier this year, the Constitutional Court decided to keep the original law in place.

They insisted that tattooing should continue to be considered a medical procedure that only a doctor should perform.

So if a tattoo artist without a medical license gives you a tattoo, he or she can face up to two years in prison or be required to pay 10 million won in fines.