<Illegal Practices Everyone Does, Tattoo①>
The Tattoo Market Size Increased by 800 Billion Won in One Year
Red Ocean but Illegal... Tattoo Procedures Require Medical License
Underground Growth of the Tattoo Market... Issues of Tax Evasion and Protection Arise
[Asia Economy Reporter Gong Byung-sun] Nowadays, it is easy to find people with tattoos on the streets. The era when people used to intimidate others with dragon tattoos on their arms or backs has changed. People now engrave phrases they like on their skin, known as 'lettering,' or draw a beautiful single flower. On social networking services (SNS) like Instagram, posts seeking tattoo artists who can create stylish tattoos are being uploaded.
The tattoo market is expanding. According to the Korea Tattoo Association, the size of the tattoo and semi-permanent makeup market this year is about 2 trillion won. This is an increase of 800 billion won compared to last year (1.2 trillion won). The number of workers reaches about 120,000, and the number of tattoos performed this year is approximately 6.5 million.
Perceptions are also changing. Lee Han-min (27, pseudonym), who works in the tattoo business near Konkuk University, said he feels the growing market size and the increasingly positive views of people. Lee said, "Unlike tattoos done for intimidation purposes, most tattoos nowadays are for aesthetic reasons," adding, "Now, mothers and sons come together to tattoo shops."
Tattoo artists say the tattoo market has become a red ocean (saturated market) to the extent that price competition is necessary. In the past, they charged about 500,000 won per work, but now it is only 250,000 won. Tattoo artists with little experience have provided tattoo services for less than 50,000 won. Kang Ha-eun (25, pseudonym), who works in the tattoo business near Hongik University, said, "I chose this job because I like drawing, but my earnings are not good, so I am worried," adding, "I earn about 100,000 to 150,000 won per month and sometimes can only do one tattoo a month."
However, the tattoo market, which has developed to the point of nearing a red ocean, is illegal. Most tattoo artists secretly perform tattoos illegally. According to Article 27, Paragraph 1 of the Medical Service Act, a person without a medical license cannot perform medical acts. Currently, tattoos are considered medical acts according to Supreme Court precedents, so only doctors can legally perform tattoo procedures.
As a result, the tattoo market is growing underground. Most tattoos are paid for in cash before the procedure. This situation easily leads to tax evasion. Although 'tattoo business' can be selected as a subcategory when registering a business, tattoo artists do not take the risk. They do not put up separate signs and register their businesses under unrelated categories such as 'beauty business,' 'clothing business,' or 'academy business.' Tattoo artist Kim Yi-hyun (29, pseudonym) said, "More than half of tattoo artists do not pay taxes properly."
There are also issues regarding the protection of tattoo artists. Some clients refuse to pay after receiving tattoos, threatening to report them. Some tattoo artists have posted in communities that they endured sexual harassment because they feared that their illegal tattoo procedures would be exposed. Tattoo artist Lee said, "The industry has set a practice of having clients sign a consent form agreeing to the tattoo work, but if a report is made, it leads to a troublesome fight," adding, "To avoid conflicts, sometimes clients do not pay or pay separately for tattoo removal costs."
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