South Korea passes landmark Bill to legalise tattoo artists

South Korea is the only developed country where tattooing is considered a procedure that only medical professionals are capable of legally performing. - AP

SEOUL: South Korea's parliament has passed a bill to legalise tattoo artists, ending a decades-long ban on tattooing by those without medical licences.

The Tattoist Act passed convincingly on Thursday (Sept 26) afternoon with 195 votes in favour out of 202 members present, enabling non-medical professionals to obtain a licence. The new law will take effect after a two-year grace period.