Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Kat Salmon]

I also have a nose stud and a tat on my foot. Bit worried as I will be arriving in the height of summer so not really sure how to cover it- its not huge and is actually henna coloured but its visible in most shoes.

[jazblanc77]

Wear a band-aid over it.

[Chucky]

Lots of people have to cover up tattoos here.

I wear a long sleeve shirt all summer to cover up mine. It sucks. But I gotta do it.

You'll get used to it. It's good to get clothes, or shoes that are comfortable, yet also cover up the tattoo.

[eIn07912]

I would say the nose stud will definitely have to come out. Especially if you're teaching. Most schools don't want to promote "that kind" of image. Of course I'm not saying it makes you a bad person or anything. Just here, it has different meanings in terms of a social context.

The tat shouldn't be that big of a problem actually. I knew a guy who had a full sleeve tattoo and he went to work in short sleeve shirts all the time. I guess it depends on the school. Some are more relaxed than others. Also, wearing flip flops or sandles to work is kind of frowned upon anyways, so you might have to cover it up just by default.

Although, I used to work at a very prestigious private elementary school (like a public elementary school for rich kids) and we had a female teacher with a fat ankle tattoo. It was visible all the time, but none of the parents or even the super conservative principal said anything about it. Everybody liked her a lot actually.

So, rules tend to be different for foreigners. Plus, tattoos are becoming more accepted these days. It's not like in the 60's when it absolutely meant you were a gangster or something. I know several just average Koreans with tattoos.

My suggestion, just see how it goes. Cover up the tat and drop the nose ring for a while. After a few weeks when people have gotten to know you, casually walk in one day with the tat uncovered, like you just "forgot" to cover it up that morning. Maybe someone notices, maybe not. If no one says anything about it for a few days, perhaps you're home free. You can try the same thing with the nose stud, but I'm almost certain someone will say something about that one. There's just something about markings or piercings on the face that are still a bit taboo.

[Hobophobic]

Just get a clear ball and post for your nose...

[sheba]

I know plenty of people with tattoos and piercings here... I have 3 tattoos and a tongue ring and have had no problems. My friends have worked for both public and private school and tiny nose piercings have never been a problem either, but it depends on the school. You should keep your tattoo covered at work though. Some people may notice it when youre out and about and theyll probably point or stare, but theyll do that anyway (because youre foreign). Dont worry too much.

[glassandshells]

[weso1]

I'm so tired of people saying they "have to" cover up their tattoos.

No you don't. If your boss told you that you have to, it's because he's an uptight *beep*. Not because of the country or culture.

Do gangsters have tattoos? Yes. Do normal people? Yes. This is not Korea circa 1950 where only gangsters have tattoos. So many normal Koreans have ink that 99% of all Koreans know it's just a fashion/self-expression thing these days.

I kid you not, the other day at the mall I saw a family of four. Perfectly clean and nice looking. I was walking behind them and when the mom bent over, the back of her shirt raised and she had a big tramp stamp. It's that common.

I've worked at schools where other foreign teachers had tattoos on their wrists and no one said anything about it. And that guy worked here 5 years ago. Recently I've seen girls with foot tattoos at work in flip flops.

Now, as the the nose stud, that one might be an issue, but only for work. Out and about, facial piercings are becoming more common. Heck, I've even dated a Korean girl with a nose stud. At work, they just want to be able to show a pretty face. If you put your normal make up on, no one will be able to tell. It'll just look like a freckle.

So relax about the tattoos. Korea is not Japan in that respect where tattoos still have a stigma associated with them. The Korean gangster scene was never as bad as the Yakuza in Japan or the Triads in China. So the idea that tattoos are only for gangsters and "dirty people" was about as widely believed as people that live in Kansas thinking everyone who wears a red or blue hat is a Blood or Crip.

[glassandshells]

thanks weso1 for that. it's refreshing to see a positive post about the topic. i was starting to worry.

[Pa Jan Jo A Hamnida]

[ktkates87]

Mine is on the bridge of my foot, and when my boss finally noticed it he was more interested in it than upset. I work with kinders so I try not to bring a lot of attention to it, and honestly none of the kids have noticed because its pretty discreet. My husband has a ring tattoo and he wears a ring over it to cover it up, and always wears long sleeves for his other tattoo.

A large percentage of the foreigners in my town seem to have some huge tattoo whenever I see them outside of schools but I dont know whether or not they cover it up where they work. I just dont think my workplace is really the place to be flashing tattoos so I choose to cover it. If I were back home working, I would probably cover it up there too but whenever the subject comes up with my Korean coworkers here they seem to be pretty chill about it.

Did anyone go to the tattoo convention at Kunsthal Platoon? I saw a million Koreans with full backs and sleeves and a lot of these people were young women.

[DaHu]

[Steelrails]

[ChrisLamp]

My gf and I both have tats and she has a facial piercing and we have never been asked to cover them up. sometimes the kids act surprised when I show them my big skeleton leg piece but they think it's cool.

I think that in a conservative society like this it's actually pretty important to teach these kids that sometimes people look different and that's ok. I'd say don't cover those things up. they are a part of you and you should be proud to let people see them.

[FaceFaceFace]