Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Mint]

It seems it's illegal to give one, but what if one wanted to acquire one? I've been thinking about getting a certain tattoo for a few years now and find myself in a country where I don't know the laws concerning them. Thanks in advance.

[redaxe]

Technically you are supposed to be a licensed physician to give a tattoo. But lots of places do it anyway.

Of more concern should be the fact that most Korean tattoo artists are terrible and you will probably have to get the tattoo "fixed" by a good artist when you get back home.

My friend got a tattoo OF KOREA on his arm, and it was so badly done (the irony, right?) that he needed an American tattoo artist to fix it when he went back home after his contract ended.

[strange_brew]

Ask yourself, do you really want to get a tattoo in a country where there is no tattoo culture and they look down upon it generally. Of how good of quality do you think the artists and the ink are? Tattoos are forever, and you want the job done right, not by someone who does it as a hobby. Get it done at home, or in a place like Japan, where there is an underlying culture. How many really good tattoos have you seen on Koreans?

[Epicurus]

many of my working class tekkie HS students are either getting or want to get a tattoo.

[Psy]

There are quite a few tattoo parlors in the Hongdae area. They also have exhibitions about once a month, usually underground. I have a close friend who is currently an artist in Hongdae. She is pretty fluent in English as she attended college in the US with me. If you want more details, pm me and I can send you her info, cyworld, and anything else you're interested in.

[furtakk]

i've seen plenty of koreans with them. one guy i bumped into had a lot of ink done that was really great work, but he told me he got it all done in china. i'm pretty sure i remember reading of some artist that lived in seoul that had a pretty good int'l reputation, but i can't remember his name at all. my advice: get it done somewhere else unless you can find someone that has a really really solid reputation.

[atobyd]

I wouldn't listen to the negative reply from the person near the top. Well, don't let it deter you. His friend was unfortunate in not finding a good tattooist, or maybe he didn't look hard enough, or didn't wait for a recommendation from someone.

I've had two large pieces done in Korea. Both, I'm beyond happy with. The first is amazing. It's done sooooo well, that it actually makes my others, done in London, look shite..... Came back to London and many people were amazed at the style, technique and originality of it. Korea might be new to tattooing but you gotta start somewhere.

Just take your time. See some places. Look at their work. No rush.....

[koreastories]

There's a really good one in Daegu... And a really bad one. I've had work done by both.

[eIn07912]

I want an inner lip tattoo.

I'm thinking I should wait till I'm home or even take a long weekend in Japan and get it done there.

[mcviking]

Go to Thailand. Excellent artists and prices, plus you get to go to Thailand

[Shapur]

I've met some truly shitty tattooists here. There are some good ones but the tattooing scene here is small so they are harder to find. If you are determined to get one here just do what you would do at home and make sure you get a recommendation, have a completely clear idea of what you want, have a drawing beforehand and make sure the quality/style of their samples is close to what you want.
2 things:
1. Watch the sample photos/portfolios. It isn't always their work. I visited two places that had work on their walls that definitely wasn't theirs. In one case I bloody recognised the work from a magazine. False qualifications/plagiarism isn't limited to the academics here it seems.
2. Hygiene. It's a new scene and some of them don't sterilise their equipment properly.
For what it's worth I got mine outside Korea in the end.

[jpotter78]

[Darkray16]

I have had a few tattoos done back home. My advice is to consider what kind of tattoo you want before choosing where to get it. If it is an asian styled dragon or tiger then I would suggest looking around for a good artist HERE in Korea. But if it's something less common for Koreans to get then I would wait to go back home to get it.

[complex303]

Try looking near American bases i.e. Kunsan Air base, Osan Air base, Yongsan Army base. I didn't get my tattoo in Korea, but a bunch of my military friends have. Mine is on my shoulder so only certain people get to see it

[drydell]

I find it laughable that all the Korean 'gangsters' have loads of tattoos...
I've seen the local cops literally popping in to the sauna and asking the desk-adjosse after some crime has happened...
It's like writing on your forehead 'I AM A GANGSTER BAD GUY'....
what's also funny is that the local 'gangsters' favourite activity is having a nice hot bath..bless em..