“We’re moving in the right direction,” said Kang Un, 38, executive director of the Korean Tattoo Assn., who estimates that there are 22,000 illegal tattoo artists nationwide.

Showing tattoos in public has long been taboo in South Korea, where there are still many negative stereotypes about inked skin. In the past, tattoos were seen as gangster symbols. Also, the deeply ...

) to hide my tattoos from my family, I should be clear that I love them. I adore the artwork, the meaning, the reminder of my mom forever on my side; that they're a permanent souvenir of who I was ...

South Korea remains one of the few countries to require a medical degree for tattooing. In a recent congressional hearing, the law was challenged but voted in favor of maintenance. Despite walking on ...

While tattoos have grown in acceptance in most parts of the world — exceptions include several Islamic countries — South Korea remains one of the few where the artists are treated as criminals.

The Constitutional Court in Seoul upheld a ban on tattooing on Thursday, confirming South Korea as the only developed country that permits no one but medical professionals to perform the procedure.