The South Korean Tattoo Artists Working Illegally for Their Art

South Korean tattoo artist Ilwol Hongdam has inked near 4,000 folks within the final 10 years, a lot of whom flew into Seoul simply to see him.

With greater than 371,000 followers on Instagram, he is likely one of the most well-known names within the South Korean trade. He is drawn in followers world wide together with his intricate creations, that are influenced by conventional Korean artwork. 

There’s only one drawback: What he is doing is against the law.

In South Korea, tattooing itself will not be towards the legislation, nevertheless it’s outlined as a medical process which will solely be carried out by licensed medical professionals. Hongdam, like the three,000 different tattoo artists registered with the Korea Tattoo Association, will not be a health care provider. If caught, they face a minimum two-year jail sentence or a advantageous upwards of 1 million gained ($822).

“Some artists draw on canvas and even rocks, I occur to attract on pores and skin. Why is that unlawful? It isn’t justified,” the 35-year-old instructed Insider. 

He’s, nonetheless, hopeful that change is on its manner, particularly given the eye that some politicians have bestowed to the problem of late. Within the run-up to the presidential elections on Wednesday, ruling celebration candidate Lee Jae-myung has promised to again payments, now pending in parliament, to legalize tattooing. And in June, lawmaker Ryu Ho-jeong proposed a bill to permit educated tattoo artists to be legally licensed. Photos of her selling the invoice on the Nationwide Meeting immediately went viral when she confirmed up with erasable tattoos on her again.

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Some artists draw on canvas and even rocks, I occur to attract on pores and skin. Why is that unlawful?

Insider spoke to seven South Korean tattoo artists concerning the paradox on the core of their career, as they construct up social-media presences to draw clients however disguise their workshops in basements to keep away from drawing the scrutiny of the legislation. Amongst these Insider spoke to, the feminine tattoo artists described an additional layer of challenges, by which they’re unable to report situations of sexual misconduct by clients.

“Folks have tried to foyer for tattoo legalization for a very long time, nevertheless it’s by no means been within the highlight as a lot because it has previously 12 months,” Hongdam mentioned.

“I hope they’re very severe and never simply doing all this to enchantment to younger voters,” Hongdam mentioned. 

Neither Lee nor Ryu instantly responded to Insider’s request for remark.

As soon as a stigma, now a pattern

Whereas tattoos have lengthy carried a stigma in South Korea, the youthful technology has come to embrace them.

“Having a everlasting mark engraved on one’s physique was a supply of social disgrace and decrease standing, as a result of they had been related to prison gangs or slaves,” mentioned Jo Elfving-Hwang, director of the Korea Analysis Centre on the College of Western Australia.

“However now tattoos are fairly widespread in Korea, and it is common to see youthful folks sporting them,” Elfving-Hwang continued. “Tattoos have gotten trendy, and even perhaps a signifier of individuality.” 

Based on the Korea Tattoo Association, not less than a million folks within the nation at present have tattoos. The tattooing trade is price about 200 billion gained ($164 million) a 12 months. 

Prime celebrities reminiscent of Jungkook of celebrity boy band BTS, heart-throb actors So Ji-sub and Ji Chang-wook, in addition to Okay-pop singer Lee Hyori, are all identified to have tattoos. 

Lee has a number of tattoos on her physique, together with a flower sample on her shoulder, the phrase “love” on the again of her neck, script on the again of her proper arm, and small motifs on her palms and wrists. She has accomplished a number of cowl picture shoots with Cosmopolitan Korea exhibiting off her tattoos, together with in 2017, which was warmly received by fans on Instagram.

“They’re seen as trendsetters,” Elfving-Hwang mentioned.

Even so, celebrities are nonetheless typically required to cowl up their tattoos on mainstream TV. Jungkook, for instance, wore lengthy sleeves and bandages to cowl up his hand tattoos on a talk show aired by public broadcaster KBS.

Working underground

Regardless of the altering social attitudes, South Korea’s legislation means tattoo artists must work underground — sometimes literally. 

Hongdam’s studio is in an workplace constructing with no seen signage. He solely shares the handle with clients the day earlier than their appointment. Sometimes, he mentioned, he offers purchasers with the handle of one other spot close by and picks them up from there.

In the meantime, Sol, one other widespread tattoo artist with greater than 572,000 Instagram followers, runs a nondescript studio within the fashionable Hongdae neighborhood. The realm is plagued by hip cafes and clothes shops, however from trying on the naked white partitions outdoors of Sol’s retailer, passersby would by no means be capable of guess what’s inside.

“You can not proudly grasp a signboard outdoors your tattoo store. All tattoo retailers in Korea must be operated in personal,” mentioned Sol, who is understood for his detailed designs of animals and flowers. 

Whereas the police don’t are inclined to actively go after tattoo artists, the authorities will take motion if any of them get reported, Sol and Hongdam mentioned. Each artists mentioned they’ve averted hassle to date, however they know of others within the trade who haven’t been as fortunate. 

You can not proudly grasp a signboard outdoors your tattoo store. All tattoo retailers in Korea must be operated in personal.

In 2019, a tattoo artist with the final title Kim was given three years’ probation and fined three million gained ($2,450) for tattooing and not using a medical license, per Yonhap news agency.

And two months in the past, one other artist was given three years’ probation and fined six million gained for a similar motive, per Korean economic magazine Money S. The penalty worn out the artist’s estimated takings of 5 million gained earned over a 12 months and a half, the outlet mentioned.

 Prime tattoo artists can cost greater than $400 an hour, however youthful artists would earn a lot much less, Hongdam mentioned.

Much more tough to be a feminine tattoo artist

It is maybe much more difficult for feminine tattoo artists, who’re weak to sexual harassment by clients — however who, as a result of they’re working beneath the desk, can not report them.

On this enterprise, I’m at all times afraid of getting in hassle.

A feminine tattoo artist, who solely needs to go by her artist name Ragyeom, instructed Insider: “Tattooing is an unlawful enterprise, so revealing ourselves to the police places us in danger, even when we change into victims of abuse.”

For that reason, it is not unusual for some feminine tattoo artists to decide on to work solely with feminine clients, mentioned the artist, who is understood for her daring use of colours.

Fellow feminine tattoo artist Youngbinn Sohn, mentioned a number of of her feminine colleagues within the trade have been despatched unsolicited sexual photos from male purchasers. Once more, the ladies really feel like they’ll solely maintain quiet in such situations. 

“On this enterprise, I’m at all times afraid of getting in hassle,” mentioned Sohn, whose tattoo designs contain clear, easy traces.

Instagram stars

There is a stark distinction between how some Korean tattoo artists do their work, and the way they promote their work. Whereas they work within the shadows, a few of these artists have change into outright well-known on social media, significantly on Instagram.

The most important names within the South Korean trade have a whole bunch of 1000’s of followers on the platform, with some, like oozy_tattoo, amassing a million followers.

“For us, social media is all the things since we won’t overtly promote in any other case,” mentioned Hongdam. “I am grateful for it as a result of it has helped many people to get our names on the market and meet purchasers from all around the world.”

All of their studios had been in quiet residential areas they usually weren’t simple to seek out, however I simply assumed the artists rented these locations as a result of they’re cheaper than common retailers.

A publish shared by Hongdam (@ilwolhongdam)

Singaporean magnificence advertising and marketing supervisor Teresa Chan, 33, instructed Insider she has flown to Seoul on three separate events to get inked by three totally different artists. She found their work on Instagram. 

Her first tattoo, in 2015, was a triangle with the phrase “ahead,” accomplished by Hongdam. The second, in 2017, was of a flying dandelion inked by Doy, and the third, a 12 months later, a rose and lily hybrid accomplished by Nando. 

“Korean tattoos are so totally different from the types out there elsewhere. Artists there are actually good with advantageous line drawings, which I actually admire,” Chan mentioned. “Ever since I noticed their work on Instagram, I knew I wished to get tattoos solely from them.”

Earlier than this interview, nonetheless, she mentioned she had no thought they had been working illicitly. 

“All of their studios had been in quiet residential areas they usually weren’t simple to seek out, however I simply assumed the artists rented these locations as a result of they’re cheaper than common retailers,” she mentioned. 

“However all the artists had been very meticulous {and professional}, and so affected person in going by what I wished with me. I by no means bought the sensation that they had been doing any of it secretly,” she continued.

Tattoo artist Sol believes that being compelled to work illegally might have inadvertently made Korean tattoo artists even higher at what they do.

“We should keep away from any friction with company as a result of our work is against the law. Subsequently, Korean tattooists pay much more consideration to hygiene, spend numerous time in design and remedy, and actually work onerous to be as skilled as potential,” he mentioned.

With so many Korean tattoo artists reaching worldwide fame, they instructed Insider it is ironic they’re handled like outcasts on house floor.

“We could also be identified worldwide due to social media, however the actuality is that our companies can’t be proudly open,” Sol mentioned.

“We should not must be seen as medical doctors to provide folks tattoos. We’re designers and artists,” he added.