SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Tattoo artists in South Korea will no longer need to worry about being punished for doing their jobs, as the country’s parliament on Thursday approved a landmark bill to end a requirement that anyone who gives a tattoo must have a medical license.
South Korea is currently the only country with such a restriction in the industrialized world. The Tattooist Act, which was passed by the unicameral National Assembly in a 195-0 vote, would introduce an official licensing system for tattoo artists and place them under state supervision.
About 20-30 tattoo artists gathered at the assembly shouted for joy, clapped and raised placards that read “We welcome the Tattooist Act.” Some hugged each other and wept.
“I’m deeply moved,” said Jang Young Ah, 33, who owns a tattoo