South Korea upholds ban preventing artists from tattooing

Published March 31, 2022 9:17pm ET



A South Korean court upheld a decades-old ban that prevents artists from tattooing, making the Asian country the sole developed nation in the world to prohibit nonmedical professionals from tattooing people.

The Constitutional Court in the capital city of Seoul voted 5-4 on Thursday to keep the ban intact, citing the risks involved with tattooing, according to Reuters. Those who are found in violation of the ban are subject to a fine of up to 50 million Korean won, or roughly $41,300, and a two-year prison sentence.

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