While getting a tattoo of a beloved pet may seem okay,
young men and women in South Korea who are embracing a trend of getting tattoos
of their feline friends may be facing jail time.
While tattoos themselves are not technically illegal, the
permanent ink designs must be administered by a licensed doctor- prompting the
adventurous to risk consequences just as permanent as their ink by visiting a
tattoo parlor.
One parlor is Sol Tattoo, an underground parlor in Seoul
which specializes in cat tattoos and encourages its customers to break the law
in a very unique way.
The tattoos, which range from several centimeters high to
covering a whole forearm, show off customers four-legged friends through
cartoons, portraits and etchings.
The parlor also specializes in intricate floral designs, as
well as other animals including whales and dogs.
Sol Tattoo regularly posts their detailed creations and
'cat tats' onto social media, showing the growing demand for the unusual ink.
In South Korea, tattoos have long been associated with
organized crime, but, championed by sporting heroes, K-pop stars and other
celebrities with passionate fan bases, the ink is slowly working its way into
the mainstream.
According to the Association of Korean Tattooists, more
than a million people have tattoos, prompting many young Koreans to protest
against laws which label tattoos as a medical procedure.
“Korean tattooists have good hands, so they're recognized
globally like the break-dancers. But because it is illegal, it creates more
problems in a shadowy area”, the Association's President, Jang Joon-hyuck told
The Korea Times.
“In Korea, you can shave your jawbone, slice your eye
socket open for bigger eyes, adjust your nose and breasts as you please, but
drawing on your body is deemed crazy and illegal”, said a local blogger.
“This old-fashioned attitude needs to change, considering
Korea openly supports other forms of body adjustment.”
Korea and Japan are the only countries in the world where
the activity is illegal, and police regularly raid local shops believed to be
fronting underground tattoo parlors.
Jang Jun-Hyuk, the owner of Tattooism, another underground
parlor in Seoul, had his shop targeted in a random raid, and he ended up in
court, where he was fined $3,000 and given a one-year suspended jail sentence
for violating public health codes.
“If you want to get a tattoo, you're supposed to go to a
hospital? It's just absurd,” Jang said.
Despite sporadic crackdowns, the number of studios has
continued to grow and some, like Maverick in the expat-friendly district of
Itaewon, have grown bold enough to put up neon signs.
“It's a form of passive resistance”, said Maverick owner
Lee Sung-Je.
“It's my way of saying 'I'm here, doing my work.”
Lee claims customers across the social spectrum, including
a smattering of civil servants, and executives working at straight-laced
conglomerates like Samsung.
“Though they do tend to go for tattoos that can be covered
up easily,” he said.
Despite the proposition of a bill in December last year
that could see the industry regulated, no concrete laws have been introduced to
certify tattoo artistry as a legal profession, reported The Wall Street
Journal.
