Traditional painting rendered on skin
As the temperature gauge rises here in Seoul, my secret is slowly being revealed. For the past year, since I arrived, I’ve managed to conceal my past beneath a layer or two of long-sleeved shirts. At work, on the street, or meeting people, I passed myself off as wholly unremarkable. But now it’s ninety degrees and the air sits like a heavy, wet blanket. And I just can’t take the heat anymore.
I’ve got several very prominent, very large tattoos on my lower arms. Not a day goes by here, when I don’t hide them, without comment, condescension, or disapproving stares from passersby. Coming from San Francisco, where tattoos are as common as plastic surgery is here, it’s a big change.
Just to make clear, I’m not wedded to my tattoos. I got them years ago, a lifetime it seems, and I’m a different person now. Unfortunately, my tattoos say otherwise. A friend from Taiwan recently told me, half joking, that had he not known me he would have mistaken me for a “bad guy.” I feel like here in Korea I’m constantly fighting off that perception.
I remember once walking into a sauna here and watching as, almost simultaneously, all heads in the room turned to take in the only foreigner in the room, covered in ink. Time at that moment slowed to a crawl as I made my way to the nearest pool and submerged myself.
Tattoos do have a history in Korea. In ancient times Korean fisherman would tattoo themselves to ward off evil when out to sea. During the Chosun Dynasty (1392-1910), thieves and criminals were branded with tattoos. Under the influence of Confucian philosophy tattoos came to be seen as scarring the body, in violation of the precept to “preserve the body, hair and skin inherited from ancestors.”
These days, however, I see more and more young Koreans donning tattoos. Several years ago a story broke about young men tattooing themselves to evade military service. More recently, a lawyer campaigned to have the laws regarding tattoos in Korea changed. Currently the government deems tattoos a medical procedure, and thus only medically licensed professionals are allowed to give them. Last I checked (don’t know if this has changed) breaking that law can, get this, lead to a life sentence!
Last year a piece came out in the JoonAng Daily about a young Korean tattoo artist determined to change the way Koreans see tattoos. Along with several friends and in concert with the lawyer mentioned above he held a photo exhibit in the National Assembly building in Seoul. He also staged a protest march across the country to try to change traditional attitudes. Both the exhibition and the march were meant, he told reporters, to “advance freedom of expression.”
Now having said all that, I should point out that other’s have had relatively positive experiences in Korea with their tattoos. This is from a response to an individual preparing to visit family in Korea and concerned about her full-sleeve tattoos and stretched earlobes. “I go to Korea enough each year, that it is pretty much my second home & I’ve got a half sleeve (wrist to elbow), bicep and shoulder tattoos and have never had any problems in Korea.” He continues, “My fiancee’s family are also quite open to my tattoos, which was a relief.”
Fortunately my wife’s family has also been very open, so I suppose it could be worse. Still, I start a new office job soon and I’m dreading those hot days of summer when everyone else is in short-sleeves. Thank god for winter!
Filed under: Korean Society | Tagged: free speech, Korea, tattoos
The threat of a life sentence for illegally performed tattooing is an interesting example of differing cultural standards… just as in North America we find it revolting (though not illegal?) to eat dog.
Is there a Korean equivalent to the Japanese Yakuza?
Not that I’m aware of… I mean, there is organized crime here, though I don’t think there is an equivalent to the Yakuza here. That’s an interesting comparison with dog meat, which, by the way, is a very sensitive subject here. I had a friend from Canada who went to a local market here where they sell dog meat. He tried to take some photos and got chased with a machete! I think they assumed he was going to try and post the pics on some anti-dog meat site.
Hi – quick question — how come there’s no contact info for you? Even a handle is better than nothing. It’s kind of disconcerting to read a blog that is so completely anonymous. That said, I’m glad I stumbled upon your blog. Hopefully you’ll be added to other prominent Korean bloggers’ blogrolls soon. Perhaps a contact email will smooth that process.
Yes, I think he is going to make it big. I wonder if sleepingcow will ever reveal himself?
Hey. Where did you get tattooed in Seoul? I’ve tried to go to 2 saloons in Suwon, but they’ve rejected me. Mail me. 10x )
>as common as plastic surgery is here
I’ve heard that Korea, America and Brazil have the most plastic surgeries done in the world.
I dont understand go get yourself tattooed of something in your genes. You arent korean so why would you get that tatoo?
The tattoo above is not the author’s. I was looking for an image to go with the story and I found this one on the Internet. As for having to be Korean to get a tattoo like that – no comment.
Actually, I do have a comment. You’re Korean, why speak English? Why listen to hip-hop, or wear Western clothes? Why use a computer, or drive in a car, all Western inventions? Why follow Western faiths? Hell, why follow Buddhism from India, or Confucianism from China? Forget tattooing your skin, you’re tattooing your soul with foreignness! Amazing as it may seem, there are some people who find elements of Korea universal, including its art. Why this continues to be so shocking here in Korea is really beyond me.
I don’t see why you took so much offense into that last comment. I believe in the commentator’s broken english, he or she was asking more out of curiosity than being nationalistic. Its like if a korean were to stay in ireland for a while and get celtic tattoos. Wouldn’t the locals be curious as to why they got that instead of their own culture?
Tatooed in Asia
I appreciate you calling me out on flying off the handle like that. Still, it’s that very phrase “their own culture” that I can’t stand. I grew up in a city and in a family that was a blending of cultures and ideas. Each one filled in where others were lacking, and the result was inspiring, and I’m thankful to have grown up touched by them all. So I just don’t buy the whole your culture and my culture bit. Something is beautiful, inspiring, or meaningful to you, it moves you, then it becomes a part of you, and your culture.
I agree that art and culture shouldn’t be limited to one’s dna. I also grew up in a mix-mash of cultures and have been lucky to experience and understand them. I doubt the poster has a tattoo, and asked that question out of ignorance, rather than nationalism. I was able to go to korea several months working with their army’s special forces for a training mission earlier this year and noticed that some of the younger ROK special forces soldiers (who are not conscripts) had tattoos as well; I saw several who had angels with latin script on their shoulders. I really doubt those koreans, with western style tattoos, would ask a question as ignorant as the one posted a while back.
eating dog in Korea is not representative of Korea as a whole. In fact, most Koreans don’t condone it. It’s like America banning slavery during the Lincoln era but continuing to practice it for over a 100 years. Give it some more time and Korea will not allow dog to be eaten for good one day.
I’m not quite sure why Korea looks upon tattoos as taboo. Everyday more and more things are becoming Westernized in Korea. I’m sure that one day Korea will open up to body art. Getting tattoos does not mean someone is a criminal or a bad person. It is simply art that portrays the soul through the body.
I will be getting a tattoo in hangul soon. I am not Korean, I’m African-American, so I def agree with your statements about appreciating the art of another culture as well as your own. I have many Korean friends and have visited Korea to reunite with them. They are like family and Korea is like a second home. Every time I go I feel that it has become a part of me. With the aforementioned in mind, I decided, with the help of my buddies, to get my first tattoo and make it something meaningful and commemorative of our deep friendship. As for any person who thinks that we should only remain within the bounds of our own culture, I’d not only profess that I don’t need any outside validation
, but would like to highlight what a bland world that would be…indeed, all of our cultures have taken on elements of others…which have served as a tool of enrichment. My friends and I recognize this and we each bring our own cultural pieces to the table…more importantly we are ourselves.
Thanks for your blog sleepingcow.
Thanks for the kind words 친구스트파니. And congrats on your new tattoo!
I’d have to agree whole-heartedly with both the author and “chingoo”. Being Korean, I have four Chinese characters on my back that represent Sun Tzu’s Art of War representing the path of a leader, and my last name in “hanja” on my ribs. Now, I chose to do it in Chinese because it holds deeper meaning for me and what I wanted, as opposed to say a quote by famous Korean leaders. The only thing aside from my last name that will truly represent my culture will probably be the Dragon and Tiger tattoo I’ll be getting as a Korean yin vs. yang being as they are polar opposites. Personally, I believe the only thing that should be off limits regarding “cultural” tattoos would probably be national flags from a country that an individual was not born in…
“Actually, I do have a comment. You’re Korean, why speak English? Why listen to hip-hop, or wear Western clothes? Why use a computer, or drive in a car, all Western inventions? Why follow Western faiths? Hell, why follow Buddhism from India, or Confucianism from China? Forget tattooing your skin, you’re tattooing your soul with foreignness! Amazing as it may seem, there are some people who find elements of Korea universal, including its art. Why this continues to be so shocking here in Korea is really beyond me.”
- sleepingcow
I enjoyed your article a lot. There isn’t that much out there on Korean tattoos. But I just wanted to make a comment on one of your previous comments. Although Korean maybe picking up more Western traits in the past few years. You should realize that it was put upon them. Not only was Korea colonized by Western Imperialism, but it was also colonized by Japan imperialism. The U.S. military is still there today, so, yes, there is Western influences in Korea, but it wasn’t asked for in the first place.
@hellocarrie – I’m glad you enjoyed the article, and thanks for taking the time to comment. Having studied a bit of Korean history myself, I’m aware of the efefcts that colonialism and “gunboat diplomacy” had on Korean culture, but the fact of the matter is that Korea is at a geographic crossroads that has resulted in waves of cultural and even ethnic currents – if you go back far enough – sweeping across the peninsula. China’s political and philosophical systems weilded enourmous influence over the country for millenia. The question is whether it remained Chinese or became Korean through a blending with local custom and ideas. Was it asked for, or was it seen by the ruling elite as an effective means of legitamizing their position? Korea is also one of the few countries where the spread of Christianity occurred not through missionary activity but by Korean converts themselves actively propagating their newfound faith, not unlike neo-Confucian converts ahead of the Joseon Dynasty, or Buddhist converts going back to the Three Kingdoms era. As for Western culture, there were numerous and very prominent Koreans pushing for a reform of the traditional system because they saw it as the only way to strengthen the nation, itself a very Western notion. Were they compelled to think this way because looming on the horizon were loaded canons ready to tear at the dynasty’s throat? Probably, but it seems to me part of a cycle – tragic in many ways, yes – of successive waves of cultural influence washing across Korean shores. To me, the brilliance of Korean culture and history lies in its continued ability to maintain something distinct, and beautiful, in spite of or because of its historical legacy.
I lived in Korea for two years. I’m in grad school back in the states now, but I’m hoping to find myself back in Korea sometime in the future…
Anyway, I’ve been considering a Korean tattoo for quite a while now, and finally may have settled on a text. From a poem by 김춘수, “꽃”
…
우리을은 무두
무엇이 되고 싶다
너는 나에게 나는 너에게
잊혀지지 않는 눈짓 되고 싶다
This is always an interesting topic to discuss because I believe very strongly in respecting each local culture, and even though Korean’s attitudes may be changing, tattoos still can carry a negative connotation.. even if the meaning is as powerful as this poem.
But I’m not Korean. I’m just a sympathetic American who knows a thing or two about Korea. I will never be Korean. As an American who speaks Korean conversationally, and has an understanding of Korean culture, I am in a unique place to select a meaningful and significant tattoo, and I get the *benefit* of mixing aspects of culture that have meaning for me.
The actual fine is 3 million KRW. My noona (older sister) is a tattoo artist and they recently raided her shop in Hongdae. They took her gun and needles. I am full Korean and have tattoos. There is a negative image of tattoos because of the association of Korean gangs.