From big and small to intricate and minimalist, tattoos are growing in popularity around the world. Since the 1970s, getting one’s body inked has not only become more common but also more accepted within society, often thanks to celebrities and athletes becoming open regarding their own tattoos. Tattooing has especially grown in popularity with the rise of social media in the past 15 years, as platforms such as Instagram allow artists to showcase their designs to a wider and more global audience than ever before. 

However, in some places, tattooing is still considered taboo. In South Korea, it is illegal to ink a tattoo without a medical license; it is currently the only country in the world with this type of law. While tattoos themselves aren’t illegal, this law means that many tattoo artists in South Korea operate underground. 

Tattoos have long carried a social stigma across East Asia. Beginning in the 19th century, tattoos in Korea became associated with crime, and were seen as going against Confucian values. Tattoos were also associated with crime as gangs began using them as a way to identify themselves and their syndicates, an image that carries on to this day. The korean word for tattoo, munsin, still evokes a criminal undertone.  

Yet, South Korea’s negative view of tattoos is changing, especially among the country’s youth. In places like Seoul, where street fashion combines with music and art scenes, tattoos are a growing part of the way young Koreans are expressing themselves in a globalized world. Small and hidden tattoos are especially popular among Korean youth, possibly to avoid getting in trouble with their parents or school. 

Artists have found ways to adapt to a changing social landscape, even developing their own unique styles. Korean tattoos are known for fine-lines and watercolor effects, combining simple yet complex designs with vibrant colored ink subtle enough for Korean society. Moreover, laws restricting tattoo artists are not as heavily enforced as they once were. Some tattoo artists have even garnered widespread and global recognition beyond Korea. Shifting social attitudes regarding tattoos coupled with the rise of social media and the growing popularity of tattoos worldwide has much to do with some artists’ newfound global recognition. Popular tattoo studios such as Studiobysol have over 1.6 million followers on Instagram across their 28 artists’ accounts. 

Studios such as these are often in modest buildings shrouded by the alleyways of major cities like Seoul, giving the image that these shops, and the designs that they ink, are still underground and meant to be hidden from mainstream society. Yet, tattoo enthusiasts and first-timers from all over the world wouldn’t get that impression from looking at the work of Korean artists on social media. Their world-wide popularity is made more clear by the growing popularity of Korean pop culture like K-pop. Jung-kook, a member of the popular K-pop group BTS, was recently seen covering up his hand tattoo with a bandage while on a South Korean television show. 

Tattoos still carry with them the social stigma of centuries prior, but just as tattoos have become more widely accepted in the Global North, so too have they in places like South Korea. Now, the world is adapting to South Korean artists and the designs they ink in the shadows.

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Aerex is a current student at Occidental College majoring in Diplomacy and World Affairs with a minor in East Asian Studies. He is passionate about sharing people’s stories through writing, and always strives to learn about new places and cultures. Aerex loves finding new music and exploring his hometown of Los Angeles in his free time.