#koreantats

In Korea now, getting a tattoo is harder than you would think. It is not as simple as walking down the street and looking for an advertisement for tattoos. Most tattoo operations are underground and have to be looked up online or recommended by the locals who are interesting in helping you. In order to get a tattoo in Korea, the tattooist needs to have the same license as a doctor. In other words, according to medical law, the tattooist has to have a doctor's license. Up until a few years ago, tattoo parlors were considered illegal and could only be found by doing research online and going to a very suspicious spot just to get a tattoo. However, the view on tattoos is slowly becoming more lax. Many K-Pop stars are now getting tattoos and tattoos are now slowly seen as fashion statements rather than gang signs.

                          4minute's HyunA with her tattoo                                      

There is a generational gap in which younger Koreans (~20 years old) see tattoos as "cool" while the older Koreans still see them as a sign of being in the Korean mafia. Foreigners generally are not treated the same way and the native Koreans merely think that it's a "foreign" thing. Despite that, even foreigners have been known to be denied access in gyms and bathhouses because they had an exceptionally large tattoo on their body. If a foreigner visits Korea with a large tattoo, you can expect at least people staring at you and tiptoeing around you. So just some advice for anyone with tattoos wanting to visit Korea, be prepared to hide your tattoos. Especially if you are a woman, people will treat you differently and there have been cases where foreigners were kicked out of their hotel just for having large tattoos.

Korean Pop Star BoA with her tattoo.

http://myline-kakao.blogspot.com/2014/01/kpop-idols-with-tattoo_9837.html

            In Korea, tattoos are used in order to show an individual's affiliation to a certain crime syndicate or to just intimidate others who happen to see the tattoos. Members of organized crime often have tattoos of the pa (mob) they are in. When confronted by other mobs, they show the tattoo to identify themselves. The tattoo can also be used as a warning to civilians. Because of this, tattoos have often been considered taboo. There are young Koreans who get tattoos as well but tattoos are still seen in popular culture as being tell-tale signs that the person who has tattoos have to treated with wariness and mistrust, especially if the person is a native Korean. Nowadays, the top 3 gangs in South Korea are "Chil Sung Pa" (칠성파), or Seven Star, "Hwan Song Sung Pa" (환송성파), [the origin of the name is ambiguous; rumors has it 환,송,and 성 represent nicknames of the three founders of the gang], and "Ssang Yong Pa," or (Double Dragon).  

Example of Gang Tattoos

These gangs compete amongst each other continuously. The Seven Star mob tattoo is a pattern of seven stars on their chest. They are seen as number one mob and as being extremely secretive. The Hwan-Song-Sung-Pa signature mob tattoo is the Hanja character of "Son" (孫) the founders' family name, on any part of their body. Where they have it signifies rank.  The Double Dragon mob tattoo is the two dragons curling over each other on their upper arm. The Double Dragon mob is seen as being extremely violent and brutal. 

                                            Another Example

Besides these gang tattoos, there are a variety of tattoos that a person can get, ranging from mythological or real creatures to just small drawings. The Chinese Dragon is popular along with smaller animals such as Koi Fish and Bluebirds.