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samd
Joined: 03 Jan 2007
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 Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2010 8:36 pm Post subject: |
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| Banana_Man wrote: |
| ttompatz wrote: |
In Korea, only "gangsters" have tats.
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Where did this golden piece of completely wrong and judgemental advice come from?
Yes, gangsters have tats - in every country this is true.
Many other Koreans have tats - same as elsewhere, 3 of my close Korean friends, one female, 2 male have tats. I don't as I think they will be regretted later in life.
Anyway, it depends on your boss, if they are covered at work then there is no problem - the tats on your leg, just don't show leg until you are in the boss' good graces.
Co-workers and friends (in my experience and in my tattooed friends experiences, Korean and Western) will accept them and not care other than to say either "woah, cool" or "woah, that's a little strange but eh, who cares". |
+1. A massive number of normal Koreans have tattoos these days. Anyone who says otherwise has never lived in Seoul in summer. |
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ashland
Joined: 05 Dec 2008
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| Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2010 9:14 pm Post subject: Re: Tattoos on women |
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| kjohns15 wrote: |
Can anyone offer any insight on this? I have a large tattoo on my leg and I'm curious as to how it will be recieved in SK. I often get stupid reactions here in the States, so I'm used to people commenting on it. Mostly I'm worried if they are considered really offensive. Should it be covered in the workplace/public or are they acceptable?
Thanks for any advice!
Kortney |
how offensive? very very very offensive!
only hardcore gangsters have tatoos in korea... they are absolutely social rejects.
you even get excused from the mandatory military service if you have one. |
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kjohns15
Joined: 15 Mar 2010
Location: USA
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| Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2010 9:28 pm Post subject: |
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| So now I'm just confused by the disparity between the two comments above this one. Apparently it just depends on the area? It sounds like they are somewhat common in Seoul, but not elsewhere. |
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Ruthdes
Joined: 16 Oct 2008
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2010 10:45 pm Post subject: |
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| kjohns15 wrote: |
| So now I'm just confused by the disparity between the two comments above this one. Apparently it just depends on the area? It sounds like they are somewhat common in Seoul, but not elsewhere. |
Ashland is having you on. In society, you may be stared at, but you will be anyway. Some older women pointed at mine in the sauna, but it was just out of curiosity, not malice. You DO see young Koreans with tattoos. They are not illegal as one person claimed. A girl who used to work in my starbucks had "Hana" tattooed on her wrist. In any case, we're foreign, so we're given a lot more leniency on these things than Koreans. Some old men or women might glare at you if it's obvious, but who's to say they wouldn't have done that anyway?
At work, it will depend completely on your employer. I teach at an adult institute and several of my coworkers, plus me, have visible (though not really obvious) tattoos. I've never heard of anyone being asked to cover them. If I had a big bicep tatt, I suspect I would be asked to wear sleeves to cover it. My smallish wrist tatt seems to be ok though. At a kids hagwon, you may be more likely to be asked to cover it. Parents complain about dumber things than that. But you won't really know til you get here.
If I were you, I'd just pretend I didn't have it then when it's summer and they see it, they'll tell you soon enough if they don't want you exposing it. |
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ashland
Joined: 05 Dec 2008
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| Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2010 11:12 pm Post subject: |
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| samd wrote: |
| Banana_Man wrote: |
| ttompatz wrote: |
In Korea, only "gangsters" have tats.
|
Where did this golden piece of completely wrong and judgemental advice come from?
Yes, gangsters have tats - in every country this is true.
Many other Koreans have tats - same as elsewhere, 3 of my close Korean friends, one female, 2 male have tats. I don't as I think they will be regretted later in life.
Anyway, it depends on your boss, if they are covered at work then there is no problem - the tats on your leg, just don't show leg until you are in the boss' good graces.
Co-workers and friends (in my experience and in my tattooed friends experiences, Korean and Western) will accept them and not care other than to say either "woah, cool" or "woah, that's a little strange but eh, who cares". |
+1. A massive number of normal Koreans have tattoos these days. Anyone who says otherwise has never lived in Seoul in summer. |
they are not permanent. |
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Milwaukiedave
Joined: 02 Oct 2004
Location: Goseong
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| Posted: Sat Mar 27, 2010 1:30 am Post subject: |
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| One of my university students had a tattoo on her foot. I actually noticed it the first time she took my class. She then took another class with me (an elective) and some students were asking her about it. I felt a little strange asking about it when she was in my first class so I didn't. In the second class (different semester) since other students had brought it up, I asked what it meant. |
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peppermint
Joined: 13 May 2003
Location: traversing the minefields of caddishness.
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| Posted: Sat Mar 27, 2010 2:29 am Post subject: |
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Korea's changed so fast. When I was hired to work at an elementary school in 2004, I was told that red nail polish was frowned upon and I had to go to another town to get birth control pills; now people are asking if it's okay to show their tattoos?!
Last edited by peppermint on Sat Mar 27, 2010 4:20 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Hobophobic
Joined: 16 Aug 2004
Location: Sinjeong negorie mokdong oh ga ri samgyup sal fighting
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| Posted: Sat Mar 27, 2010 3:16 am Post subject: |
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Just keep your ink covered at work...I have many and I do not show them but they do pop-out from time to time...ie. reaching and pointing...
...as for your neighbourhood...who cares...work and home are two different places...I change off campus in summer into shorts and a Tshirt, and this guarantees me breathing space and stares while commuting...but as others mentioned staring is par for the course here anyway, and a lower leg tat is not going to draw any more attention than being a foreigner would anyhow
...breathing space during rush hour though...well worth flashing some ink...however a Tinkerbell tat and a sleeve of Japanese demons/zombies are two very different stares...
...as for the not illegal in Korea part it is partially true...if you are part of the beautician union (inking eyebrows or lip liner) or have certification in the medical field (Tattoos by Vincent - horrible work by the way, and a doctor who should stick with golf rather than colorfully scratching people up) it is okay to give tattoos, otherwise you will be charged with practicing without a proper license...as for having tattoos, it has become much more popular in just the last 2-3 summers, and I can tell if they are fake or not..many are the real thing these days...
...i did my apprenticeship while I was back in Canada...when I came back to Korea, I thought I might want to sling some ink here, however, unless it has changed in the past 2 years, you are not legally able to administer a tattoo unless you are qualified to handle blood...just as some areas in the West require you to take a cross-contamination course for health and safety reasons....
....sure there are some tat artists, and most pay bribes and such, and there is no real law against it, but for the above reasons concerning the handling of blood, it is found illegal....
...rant over. |
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sesyeux
Joined: 20 Jul 2009
Location: king 'arrys
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| Posted: Sat Mar 27, 2010 4:06 am Post subject: |
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| so - as a foreigner would it be possible to figure out where the 'illegal' ink shops are in seoul, and get something done? or no chance on account of the whole shush shush thing i'd imagine most half-decent artists operate. wouldn't want some big mouthed foreigner ruining it! |
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grainger
Joined: 21 Sep 2006
Location: Wonju, Korea
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| Posted: Sat Mar 27, 2010 4:19 am Post subject: |
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| I once had an older lady in the gym locker room spot the tattoo on my calf when she bent down next to me. She was so overwhelmed by curiosity that she actually scratched at it with a finger, which is the moment I became aware of her curiosity, I couldn't help but laugh. I think she was kind of embarassed but I let her have a good look. |
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Hobophobic
Joined: 16 Aug 2004
Location: Sinjeong negorie mokdong oh ga ri samgyup sal fighting
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| Posted: Sat Mar 27, 2010 4:33 am Post subject: |
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| sesyeux wrote: |
| so - as a foreigner would it be possible to figure out where the 'illegal' ink shops are in seoul, and get something done? or no chance on account of the whole shush shush thing i'd imagine most half-decent artists operate. wouldn't want some big mouthed foreigner ruining it! |
Whether they are legal or not doesn't affect you really...it is quality and cleanliness you need to concern yourself with...you are not going to get in trouble for getting ink here anymore than you would anywhere else....
....unless Mr.Kimleepark doesn't provide a sterile and professional workplace...
consultation whether tattooing is illegal or not should be a must - getting ink is nothing to be taken lightly...like any procedure/service you need to do your research to ensure you are going to walk away happy and healthy....
make certain both you and the artist are comfortable with what will be done, check out their portfolio, and reputation.... and cleanliness ( wash your feet if you are going to get a footy tat for fugsakes)...the artist should have everything laid out yet unopened in front of you...they should never be set up before hand... |
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sesyeux
Joined: 20 Jul 2009
Location: king 'arrys
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| Posted: Sat Mar 27, 2010 6:26 am Post subject: |
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| Hobophobic wrote: |
| sesyeux wrote: |
| so - as a foreigner would it be possible to figure out where the 'illegal' ink shops are in seoul, and get something done? or no chance on account of the whole shush shush thing i'd imagine most half-decent artists operate. wouldn't want some big mouthed foreigner ruining it! |
Whether they are legal or not doesn't affect you really...it is quality and cleanliness you need to concern yourself with...you are not going to get in trouble for getting ink here anymore than you would anywhere else....
....unless Mr.Kimleepark doesn't provide a sterile and professional workplace...
consultation whether tattooing is illegal or not should be a must - getting ink is nothing to be taken lightly...like any procedure/service you need to do your research to ensure you are going to walk away happy and healthy....
make certain both you and the artist are comfortable with what will be done, check out their portfolio, and reputation.... and cleanliness ( wash your feet if you are going to get a footy tat for fugsakes)...the artist should have everything laid out yet unopened in front of you...they should never be set up before hand... |
just what i wanted to hear, cheers. i know what to look for, how to research etc - it wouldn't be my first, put it that way, so i'm not about to walk in to someplace i see on the street and pick something from the wall! |
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BaldTeacher
Joined: 02 Feb 2010
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| Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2010 9:32 am Post subject: |
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| People thought I was a gangster because I have a shaven head and usually wear a leather jacket. |
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CapnSamwise
Joined: 11 Jan 2010
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| Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2010 9:46 am Post subject: |
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| would you rather have them think you were into the leather scene? |
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Hobophobic
Joined: 16 Aug 2004
Location: Sinjeong negorie mokdong oh ga ri samgyup sal fighting
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| Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2010 6:50 pm Post subject: |
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| CapnSamwise wrote: |
| would you rather have them think you were into the leather scene? |
Few can pull-off the leather and bald look proper.... 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nu5gv9A2zc0 |
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