SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s parliament passed a landmark bill Thursday that would allow people to give without having a medical license.
The country currently allows only people with medical licenses to give tattoos, making it the sole country in the industrialized world with such a restriction. Tens of thousands of tattoo artists have been working in the shadows in South Korea for decades.
The single-chamber National Assembly passed the Tattooist Act by a 195-0 vote. Seven lawmakers abstained from voting.
The Tattooist Act would introduce an official licensing system for tattoo artists and place them under state supervision. The act would take effect after a two-year grace period that begins once it’s formally proclaimed by President Lee Jae Myung. That step is considered a formality, as his Health Ministry has already expressed support for the measure.
The bill’s passage comes as public views toward tattoos are changing. In the past, tattoos were associated with gangsters or criminals, but they are now increasingly perceived as a form of self-expression, with K-pop idols and other celebrities openly displaying tattoos.
The current restrictions traces back to a 1992 Supreme Court verdict that defined cosmetic tattoos as medical procedures, citing health issues that could be caused by tattoo needles and ink. Authorities don’t aggressively enforce the rules, allowing tattooists to thrive in the shadows.
A 2023 Health Ministry survey found that the vast majority of people with tattoos didn’t get them in hospitals. Just 6.8% of people with cosmetic tattoos — such as eyebrows, eyeliner, lips or scalps — said they got them in hospitals, and just 1.4% of people with ordinary tattoos.
The Tattooist Act posted on the website of the assembly reads it aims to “resolve gap between the law and reality and promote public health and safety” by giving tattooists licenses, regulating the scope of their works and stipulating required hygiene and safety steps.
The act’s passage represented a victory for tens of thousands of tattooists in South Korea, who have fought hard to bring an end to the 33-year ban on their work. They face up to five years in prison and 50 million won ($35,740) in fines if they are caught inking people.
In recent years, judges have increasingly ruled in favor of tattoo artists or issued deferred rulings, but some have been punished with fines.
Fears of investigations have led to many tattooists in South Korea running studios without signs and with doors closed. Many have testified that they put up with customers behaving badly, while some have also moved abroad for work.
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