World📡 BBC NewsMay 30, 2026👁 1 views

How did tattoo artists become legal in South Korea?

How did tattoo artists become legal in South Korea?

Tattoo artists have worked underground in South Korea for decades - until now.

For 34 years, only licensed doctors were allowed to ink tattoos and breaking the law could lead to heavy fines or jail.

In September, lawmakers had legalised tattooing by non-medical professionals following a sustained artists' campaign against the fear and harassment they faced.

The BBC is in Seoul, where tattooists from all the country have gathered, to explain how and why the law has changed.

7 days agoTattoosSouth KoreaBody artAsiaShareSave

Watch: Guide stranded on Everest for six days rescued

The BBC's Rajini Vaidyanathan pieces together how events unfolded.

Asia

Watch: Man attacked by bear at steel works in Japan

The bear, which injured four people in the attack on Tuesday, remains on the loose within the factory compound.

Asia

Watch: Glass doors break as fans scramble to see Pursuit of Jade star

Huge crowds formed outside a shopping centre in China to see actor Zhang Linghe.

Asia

'I could not see him one last time': A family's grief a year after Air India crash

There were 242 people on board the flight on 12 June 2025, and all but one died in the crash.

Asia

How did this novel about food win a Booker Prize this year?

Taiwan Travelogue is the first novel translated from Mandarin Chinese to win the prestigious award.

Asia

The Kabul rehab centre hit by deadly Pakistani strike

Pakistan says it hit 'military and terrorist infrastructure' - but the UN and victims' families reject this claim.

Asia

Huge plumes of ash rise as Indonesia's Mount Dukono erupts

Officials said the group had been hiking up the active volcano despite a climbing ban.

Asia

Moment Indonesian river overflows from heavy rain

A glamping facility was destroyed by the raging torrent in Bogor, West Java on 4 May.

Asia

Flying cars and 5-minute charges: China's EV industry sees opportunity in Iran crisis

As the US-Iran has sent the world scrambling for fuel, China is positioned to benefit from its rapid shift into electric vehicles.

Asia

How the US-Iran war is costing China

The BBC’s Laura Bicker explains the economic costs and possible political wins for China brought on by the war.

Asia

Drone footage shows huge Malaysian coastal village fire

Thousands of people have been displaced after a fire destroyed around 1,000 homes in Malaysia's Sabah state.

Asia

Watch: Runners v robots at China half marathon

Robots competed in a half marathon race in Beijing on Sunday, with the winning machine leaving its human rivals for dust.

Asia

Bongbong Marcos fights ill-health rumours with star jumps

The Philippine President challenged anyone questioning his fitness to join him in the gym.

Asia

Watch: Who is the coup leader who will be Myanmar's next president?

Min Aung Hlaing presided over his last military parade in Myanmar before he takes up the role of president.

Asia

Long queues in Myanmar as Iran war fuel crisis deepens

Drivers are queuing for hours at petrol stations in Myanmar as the Iran war continues to send shockwaves across the globe.

Asia

How the Iran war is causing fuel chaos in the Philippines

BBC News Asia Business Correspondent Suranajana Tewari spoke to people taking to the streets of Manila.

Asia

'BTS is everything for us': K-pop fans gather in Seoul for comeback show

Some 260,000 fans are expected to watch BTS perform together on Saturday for the first time since 2022.

Asia

Watch: Thick smoke billows from South Korea car parts plant in deadly fire

Eleven people were killed and dozens injured when a huge blaze engulfed a car parts factory in the central city of Daejeon.

Asia

Video shows moment point-blank gunshot misses Indian politician

Senior Kashmir leader Farooq Abdullah escaped unhurt after the incident and the suspect is in custody.

Asia

Viral monkey Punch rejected by mother given stuffed orangutan

A young Japanese macaque at the Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan went viral, after videos showed him playing with a soft toy that zookeepers gave him for comfort.

Asia