A Centuries-Old Stigma In South Korea, tattoos, also called munshin, have long had negative associations. During the Koryo dynasty, which ruled from 918 to 1392 A.D., people were forcibly given tattoos on their faces or arms listing the crimes they had committed or marking them as slaves.
Moving into the 20th century, tattoos in Korea became customary for gangs and thus created an association of the two. This was an imitation of Japanese gang culture during Japan's colonial rule of Korea (1910-1945). This further contributed to the distaste for tattoos already present in the Confucian culture of Korea.
The Constitutional Court in Seoul upheld a ban on tattooing on Thursday, confirming South Korea as the only developed country that permits no one but medical professionals to perform the procedure.
Laws against tattoos were enforced in 1936 after the war between Japan and China broke out, banning tattoos entirely. The Japanese government thought people with tattoos were problematic. It wasn't until 1946 that tattooing became legal again.
Showing tattoos in public has long been taboo in South Korea, where there are still many negative stereotypes about inked skin. In the past, tattoos were seen as gangster symbols. Also, the deeply rooted Confucian culture discouraged people from altering the bodies they received from their parents.
Tattoos aren't illegal in South Korea, and you'll see youngsters sporting ink everywhere you go. Getting a tattoo, however, is illegal — under Korean law, it's viewed as a medical service and only allowed if the tattooist is also a qualified medical practitioner.
A South Korean Artist Is Breaking Taboos with Flower Tattoos
But the court ruled in a 5-4 vote that the legislation was constitutional, confirming South Korea as the only developed nation where tattoo artists' work is illegal.
Tattoos: legal issues
In Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and Queensland, it's a criminal offence for a tattooist to do tattoos for someone under 18 years. In the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales, teenagers under 18 years need to get their parents' permission for tattoos.
China bans tattoos for minors, forbidding anyone from offering the service to teens. The State Council directive also bars advertisements and online or broadcast content that depicts tattoos. A Chinese player sports tattoos during the men's basketball match at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, July 25, 2021.
It is not an offence. There is also no requirement for minors to seek parental consent. 3. People may choose to tattoo themselves for reasons such as beauty and fashion.
From having to cover up their belly buttons, to only being allowed to show one nipple, idols have to follow a set of (sometimes weird) guidelines set by the Korean television industry. Another rule that K-pop idols must follow is the covering up of tattoos.
Around the same time, she got her first tattoo: a heart-shaped peace sign on her neck. "[It's a] little bit classic," she laughs. Like most of the U.S., the minimum age to get a tattoo in South Korea is 18, so Young lied and told the tattoo artist she was 20.
Actually, tattoos are fine in Japan. They're not illegal in any way. You may even see some people walking around with fashion tattoos, especially in Tokyo. Although some people in Japan have tattoos, they are usually hidden underneath clothing.
This can be a bit of a tricky one. In a simlar way to Japan, Korea has a very conservative society, and schools have strict requirements when it comes to personal appearances. Most importantly: No visible tattoos (if they can be covered by a long-sleeve shirt this should be fine).
Guns, narcotics, pornography, subversive material, treasonous material, and counterfeit goods are prohibited from entering Korea.
Yes. It is illegal in Hong Kong to tattoo another person who is younger than the age of eighteen.
Tattoos have been used for thousands of years as important tools in ritual and tradition. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam have been hostile to the use of tattoos, but many religions, in particular Buddhism and Hinduism, make extensive use of them.
Having tattoos is perfectly fine and legal. And if you're asking can you show tattoos in Dubai? Yes you can. Saying that, however, if you have a tattoo that is considered offensive and against the values of the UAE, you may face trouble.
Meanwhile, in Australia, tattoo and body art inks remain largely unregulated. The EU new law, which came into force this week, limits the use of chemicals that the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) says are hazardous.
It's also against the law for someone to tattoo another person who is intoxicated (whether by alcohol or drugs, or a combination). If they didn't know the person was intoxicated, this may be a defence.
There is no requirement to cover a tattoo unless it is offensive or inappropriate.
The majority of Sunni Muslims believe tattooing is a sin, because it involves changing the natural creation of God, inflicting unnecessary pain in the process. Tattoos are classified as dirty things, which is prohibited in Islam.