“If you have tattoos, please wear long clothes.”
A famous gym in Yeoksam-dong, Seoul recently announced the ‘No Tattoo ‘ policy . Due to the nature of the gym, body exposure is free, as more members create a sense of incongruity with excessive tattoos that almost cover their arms and legs. Photos of the standing signboard with the notice written on it were shared one after another on social media, drawing attention. The director of this place said, “There are many tattoos with precious meaning these days, and I think they are an expression of individuality, but the so-called ‘gaunt tattoo’ is quite threatening when others see it.” “My freedom and rights are very important. At the same time, the freedom and rights of others are also important. This is a multi-use facility.”
Era of tattoo population of 13 million (estimated by the Ministry of Health and Welfare). Although tattoos have been established as a popular fashion for a long time, considerable antipathy is also being confirmed one after another. According to a survey of 1,000 men and women over the age of 18 nationwide conducted by Hankook Research in March last year, 66% of the respondents answered that tattoos and people with tattoos were “bad or scary”. . Those in their 20s and 30s who are open to tattoo culture also showed high response rates at 58% and 61%, respectively. Even the rate of “disgusting” was 60% of the total.
In the case of major hotels nationwide, such as the Shilla Hotel in Seoul and the Lotte Hotel in Busan, guests with tattoos are restricted from entering the swimming pool. They are allowed to enter only when the tattoos are covered with long clothes or rash guards. An official from Grand Hyatt Seoul said, “Since this facility is used by all ages, including children, we are asking for your understanding so that the tattoo is not visible by renting a rash guard for free if you have a large tattoo.” Simmo (35), an office worker, said, “I was so scared when I saw a male passenger with a ‘armored’ tattoo on the train a few days ago.” .
The spread of gangster tattoos among minors
Even in the popularization of text… “uncomfortable”
There are a lot of popular celebrities who have their entire bodies covered with pictures, and it has become a common sight on the streets for men and women of all ages. The estimated size of the domestic tattoo market by the Korea Tattoo Association is around 2 trillion won. This is a figure that has nearly doubled in one year. Middle and high school students are also becoming bolder with tattoos. On social media, there are even companies that are attracting customers online with the hashtag ‘tattoos for minors’.
The ‘contents of the tattoo’ are also becoming bolder. It is spreading beyond the imprints of names and anniversaries to ‘Irezumi’, a symbol of organized gangs in Japan. It is to engrave patterns such as dragons or carp all over the body. The main reason is the desire to appear strong by showing off a sense of intimidation. However, if you have the original Japanese sword tattoo of Irezumi, you cannot enter the hot springs or public baths. It’s kind of like a scarlet letter. In the movie ‘Crime City 3’, actor Goh Gyu-pil, who plays the role of ‘Chorong’ who covered his whole body with irezumi, said in a recent broadcast, “I changed my posture when I put on tattoo makeup.” A lot of people avoided it,” he said.
I’m sorry… please erase the tattoo
Tattoos are fashion, but permanent. Even if스포츠토토 the fashion changes, you have to wear the same clothes for the rest of your life. Even if you try to take it off, it is costly and painful. Park Young-soo, a plastic surgeon, selects those who want to get rid of their tattoos but are not in a good situation, supports them for free, and publishes the process on YouTube under the title of ‘Erase the ruined tattoo’. Athletes who are relatively tolerant of tattoos also come. Kim Jeong-mi, a national women’s soccer player, said, “I engraved Beckham because he looked so cool, but I gradually hated him.”
There are various types of regret, but they have one thing in common: they usually stem from impromptu decisions. A man in his 20s with wings and roses engraved on his neck, like a famous foreign singer he admired, said, “Every time I interviewed for a job, I received a lot of notifications that it was difficult to get a job because of the tattoo.” We need to think about whether we can endure it enough.” A woman in her 30s, who had a goblin pattern engraved on her breast as a means of self-defense, but was ashamed of her child after giving birth, came to Director Park and gave advice. She said, “I can just imitate others because I’m young, but once I engrave it, it stays on my body, so it may not be erased cleanly… I hope I don’t do it as much as possible or spend a lot of time thinking about it.”
Will the ‘tattoo law’ be passed this year?
The Korea National Tattoo Society held a press conference last month and said, “Korea is a country that gives up basic management and supervision of tattoos that are prevalent in modern society and turns innocent people into criminals.” We will continue our struggle against the government that leaves it to the people.” Since the Supreme Court ruling in 1992, tattooing has been considered a medical practice until now. Only those with a medical license are eligible for the procedure. The reality is not. According to the current law, close to 99% of them are ‘unlicensed illegal procedures’.
This is why the demand for legalization is constantly raised. Apart from the dislike of tattoos, it is better to standardize the practice of tattoo artists and place them under government supervision, even for side effects and hygiene management. Nine tattoo-related bills, including the ‘Tattoo Business Act’ proposed by Rep. Ho-jeong Ryu, are currently pending.
