SEOUL: South Korea just took its first real step towards legalising tattoos performed by non-medical doctors after banning the practice for more than three decades.
On Aug 20, a South Korean parliamentary sub-committee approved the country’s first-ever Bill to officially recognise tattooing as a legal profession outside medical practice.
The move could allow trained tattooists to work legally without medical licences, upending a 33-year-old legal barrier that has long criminalised the craft and driven it underground.
Tattooing in South Korea has technically been illegal for non-medical professionals since the Supreme Court, in a 1992 ruling, defined it as a medical procedure.
Since then, only licensed doctors have been allowed to perform tattoos under the country’s Medical Services Act.
In practice, however, thousands of tattoo artists have operated underground, risking arrest for practising without a licence.
The proposed Tattooist Act was passed after a nine-hour review by the National Assembly’s Health and Welfare Legislation Subcommittee.
Around 60 members of the Korea Tattoo Federation, who had gathered at the National Assembly all day to await the result, cheered the announcement.
Korea Tattoo Federation president Im Bo-ran said the organisation had fought for 12 years to end the social stigma and legal restrictions facing tattooists.
“Now that we’ve taken the first step, we will continue to push for the remaining stages of approval with a unified voice,” she told local media on site.
Four more legislative steps remain.
The full Health and Welfare Committee will vote on the Bill on Aug 27.
From there, it must pass through a judicial sub-committee, a plenary session of the Judiciary Committee, and then the full National Assembly. If passed, it will require final approval from President Lee Jae-myung, who pledged to legalise tattooing during his 2022 campaign.
Observers say the law could take effect as early as November.
The Bill seeks to formally license tattooists through a government-run national exam. Applicants who pass would receive official licences from the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
The goal, according to the ministry, is to manage the profession like any other public health-related service, with strict oversight on hygiene and safety.
A draft of the unified legislation, obtained earlier in August by local outlet Money Today, includes several key provisions: Tattooists would be allowed to use over-the-counter anaesthetics approved by the ministry but would be banned from performing tattoo removals or using laser devices.
These clauses address growing concerns over unregulated procedures involving illegal imports of Chinese-made anaesthetic creams and laser machines, which have reportedly flooded private tattoo studios across the country.
Tattooists would also be required to report side effects from procedures, maintain hygiene standards and join a mutual aid insurance programme to compensate for damages, regardless of fault. The Bill also introduces new legal protections for whistleblowers who report illegal activity under the Public Interest Whistleblower Protection Act.
The Korean Medical Association rejected the legislation as harmful to public health. “Tattooing poses serious risks, and we will not stand idly by if this law advances under pressure from interest groups and public sentiment,” it said in a statement. - The Korea Herald/ANN
