South Korea is on the verge of overturning its decades-long ban on tattooing by nonmedical professionals, following landmark legislation under debate in the National Assembly in 2025.
For more than 30 years, tattooing in South Korea has been legally restricted to licensed medical doctors after a 1992 Supreme Court ruling classified tattooing as a medical procedure. This has driven thousands of tattoo artists to operate underground, risking arrest.
The proposed Tattooist Act, recently approved by the Health and Welfare Committee of the National Assembly, seeks to legalize professional tattooing by non-medical practitioners by instituting a licensing system. Tattooists who pass a national exam would receive official licenses from the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
Key provisions of the bill include hygiene and safety regulations for tattoo studios, the use of government-approved anesthetics, prohibitions on tattoo removal or use of lasers by tattooists, and mandatory reporting of side effects to ensure consumer safety.
Minors would still require parental consent to get tattoos, and operations would be limited to registered establishments.
The bill has widespread support from the Korea Tattoo Federation and artists, who have fought for legalization for over a decade to end the stigma and legal challenges associated with the profession.
If passed by the full National Assembly and signed by President Lee Jae-myung, who pledged support during his 2022 campaign, the law could take effect as early as November 2025.
This move represents a major cultural shift in South Korea, transitioning tattooing from a criminalized underground activity to a regulated, recognized profession.