THE HISTORY OF TATTOO IS HARD TO RECOUNT EVENTHOUGH IT’S AN ANCESTRAL PRACTICE WE CAN’T PLACE IT’S ORIGIN.

TBEING TATTOOED IN KOREA

In 2003, almost 170 persons would have been arrested for having tried to invalid out by getting tattooed.

Tattoo is a big issue in korea. First it is against confucianists beliefs that are still strong. Most of the koreans believe that their body is a gift from their

ancesters and it’s their duty to pretect it. Their reaction toward tattoo is not surprising though. Get tattooed here and you’ll never experience the well known korean

hospitality.

As in europe tattoo was the mark of the criminals, slaves etc…so getting tattooed in korea is still seen as a bad omen.

Monn so-yee, a korean living in london was choked to see that: ” a lot of persons wear tattoos as clothes. i wondered if they were all gangsters? in korea someone wearing a tattoo is probably a criminal”.

But it seems that this kind of tattoo now longer exist in modern korea. Binool a tattoo artist says that most of his customers are “normal peole” with a lot of “artists, musicians, dancers, actors, painters”

and also studants, salary men, and houswives.

the main difference is the placement on the body of the tattoo. western people prefr visible tattoos whereas korean generally chose the shoulder, the back, thigh zones that can be easily hidden under the clothes.

Technically talking tattoo is legal in korea but tattoo atists are often arrested for illegal exercise of medicine. ” i stayed for 10 days in prison” confess gun-woon a korean tattoo artist in DDD magazine. “they arrested me

but found no clue. they took the numbers of my customers but non of them wanted to charge me. so they decided to accuse me of illegal exercise of the medicine because

my stings go perforat the skin”.

Korea has no legislation on tattoo so hygiene standards are set by agreement between the tattoo arists.

The alternative to tattoo studios are private hospitals of aesthetical surgery where works certified doctors. surgeons are acredited for making tattoos but they are used to round of the eye and other make up with a natural aspect

they have nothing to do with underground tattoos. “this a make up not tattoo!” says binool “i’ve never considered this as a kind of tattoo”

Sun tattoo evolves to conform to hygiene stansards; equipments are all sterilised now. the portfolio shows tattoos from almost all the korean punk scene further more he is the official tattooer of the punk site skunxs.com.

but why getting tattooed? the korean punks say that it gives them a feeling of achievment and being “special”. but ther’s another reason, stronger one to get tattooed in korea. Each korean man must serve it’s country for 2 years befor the age of

thirty. untill recently the army would refuse tattooed persons. so some have chosen to get tattooed. according to binool “a lot of person have used this law in the past but nowadays one can’t be exempt from serving it’scountry for having too much tattoos”.

According to a BBC article of in 2003 aproximately 170 persons were arrested for having try to get exempted with tattoos.

it’s a crime punishable by a 3 years prison sentence. those young men have been exposed in the media bald head humiliated showing their tattoos.

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