Summary

  • Tattoos are still considered taboo in South Korea, especially among the older generation. However, getting a tattoo is legal and there are many talented tattoo artists in Seoul.
  • Tattoo artists in South Korea risk their careers and studios by operating underground due to the requirement of a medical license to become a tattoo artist.
  • Seoul is home to a variety of top tattoo artists, each with their own unique style, ranging from delicate and feminine designs to bold and colorful creations.

Self-expression in Seoul is encouraged mostly in terms of fashion, music, and art. Where it is not commonly accepted is with the country's attitudes toward the tattoo culture. Tattoos are still largely viewed as taboo, especially among the older generation. Getting a tattoo in South Korea is perfectly legal, though. There are even hundreds of talented tattoo artists in Seoul. However, artists pursuing a career in this field do so with a lot at risk. Arguably, getting a tattoo is one of the top things to do in South Korea.

To become a tattoo artist, artists must have a medical license, forcing many artists to risk their careers and studios if caught underground. Even with the threat of police, the tattooing culture is alive and well in South Korea. Below are the best tattoo artists first-timers should visit in one of South Korea's most famous cities.

UPDATE: 2023/07/18 11:41 EST BY NICHOLAS MAYAMBA

Top Korean Tattoo Artists To Check Out In Seoul

There's more to South Korea than K-pop and its tasty culinary offerings! Skin art is a popular trend gaining traction in this friendly Asian nation, proving to be a go-to activity for visitors to the country. This updated article features more of the top Korean tattoo artists in South Korea's capital city.

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14 @young_in_frame

stylish tattooed arm
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Closeup of serious Asian man with stylish tattooed arm

Youngbinn Sohn is relatively new in the tattooing game, but that would be hard to guess after seeing some of her work. She is a Fine Arts graduate of Korea National University of Arts.

Youngbinn likes to play around with geometric shapes and will incorporate them into her tattoo designs when she can. Her lines are clean, and her art style ranges from simple lines to complex designs. Her Instagram page showcases her experience in tattooing and her own artwork in different mediums.

13 @zihwa_tattooer

tattoo salon owner
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Young tattoo salon owner feeling good at his workplace

Zihwa Tattooer, or Ji Hae Park, operates out of the Hongdae area. Her designs are so beautifully delicate, with intricate lines and shading. Most of her designs consist of flowers and black line work and have a very feminine touch. She works under "Le Jardin de Zihwa" collective.

Her Instagram account has over 460k followers. Her great success has allowed her to branch out to open an online store featuring her designs, some of which include stickers that can be used as temporary tattoos. She has also collaborated with fellow tattooists in the shop to create a separate Instagram account that features their tiny tattoo designs here.

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12 @tattooist_banul

Asian guy with a chest tatoo
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A man with a chest tattoo posing

Tattooist Banul's designs are delicate and very feminine. Her work is very dreamy and uses colorful inks. Designs are filled with light purples, pinks, and baby blues. Much of the work displayed on her Instagram features beautiful floral creations and cute animals.

Banul's work has become so well known that she has partnered with Etude House to showcase her work in the form of temporary tattoos. If not ready for some permanent ink, Tattooist Banul's temporary tattoos are perfect for those wanting to sample some of her designs.

11 @studiobysol

Unidentified contestant's tattoo
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A contestant tattooing at MBK Center 

Sol has become a very popular tattoo artist for his fragile and delicate line work. Also operating out of Hongdae, this artist has carved a niche by creating extremely detailed works of art.

Many of Sol's pieces depict fine art paintings, watercolors, and, most popularly, cute animals. He is talented in using light pastel colors and black ink work. He's an excellent choice for tourists looking to get a Seoul tattoo during their South Korea itinerary, as he speaks English and Korean!

10 @tattooer_nadi

tattoo parlor
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In the tattoo parlor, the master beats the tattoo

From pencil on paper to ink on skin, Nadi's tattooing skills are seriously phenomenal. Her style is unique, with beautiful line work that appears like she has taken a paintbrush to the skin. Her designs feature elements resembling brush strokes and line work typically found in sketchbooks.

Her work stands out among other tattooers featured on this list due to her rough yet beautiful blackwork style. She also incorporates splashes of color where appropriate by using bold reds or deep blues. This work style creates uniquely identifiable pieces, easily allowing people to identify them as Nadi's work.

9 @polyc_sj

Asian style portrait of young woman
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A stylistic portrait of young woman sitting on the tree branch with snake tattoo on her back

Polyc_SJ owns Robin Egg Studio in Seoul, home to another tattoo artist to come on the list. His style utilizes a lot of geometric shapes, which she incorporates into her own abstract style and whimsical, bold colors.

He reinterprets numerous famous animated characters like Chihiro from Spirited Away or one of the many girls from Sailor Moon to masterpieces such as The Great Wave of Kanawaga by Hokusai Katsushika. While many tattoo artists in Seoul are popular for light pastel watercolors or strict blackwork, this tattoo artist plays with bright and bold use of vibrant colors.

8 @pitta_kkm

Asian senior showing off her hipster tattoo
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A tattoo enthusiast showing off her artwork

Pitta KKM is a tattoo artist working under the Robin Egg Studio in Seoul. This tattoo artist loves incorporating traditional Korean colors and designs into his style. There are five cardinal colors of the traditional Korean color spectrum, also known as Obangsaek. These include blue, red, yellow, white, and black.

When Pitta KKM is not focused on creating traditional Korean designs, he will integrate Obangsaek into more contemporary themes and designs. His use of these cardinal colors is also brilliantly used in the negative spaces of his work.

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7 @oozy_tattooer

A pretty short hair teen girl getting a tattoo
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A short-hair client getting a tattoo on their arm at tattoo shop

Woojin Choi, also known as Oozy Tattooer, works in Seoul. His work is heavily inspired by popular Japanese animations and mangas. Scrolling through his portfolio, fans will see works inspired by famous artists like Klimt and Van Gogh.

His work features familiar Studio Ghibli characters from Howl's Moving Castle to Princess Mononoke, some of which are depicted in his twist of dark surrealism. His style is mainly done by many fine lines as if etching on paper and with rare use of color.

6 @tattooist_arar

A tattoo artist working closely on a tattoo on his clients chest
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A tattoo artist working closely on a tattoo on his client's chest piece

This tattoo artist focuses on creating the most adorable tattoos in Seoul. Cute and tiny is Arar's specialty in addition to lettering.

Scrolling through @Tattooist_arar's Instagram feed, the mix of simple, clean, fine lines and light washes of pastel watercolors is evident. The style is very minimalist and dainty. Many designs feature darling characters from Winnie the Pooh, The Little Prince, and My Neighbor Totoro.

5 @kiljun

Ready tattoo in a tattoo salon
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Ready tattoo in a tattoo salon

With his impeccable attention to detail, it's no wonder that Kiljun's studio, Seoul Ink Tattoo, has been rated the best tattoo studio in Seoul. Kiljun is the owner and founder of Seoul Ink and has traveled internationally to perfect his skills.

After attending numerous tattoo conventions in the United States and winning multiple awards, he returned home to share his knowledge with South Korea's tattoo culture. His works are mainly black work and classics that focus on bold contrasts.

4 @tattooist_silo

master tattoo artist prepares tools for tattooing
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A master tattoo artist prepares tools for tattooing

Another option for women in South Korea is the popular tattoo artist Silo. She is famous for her amazingly delicate and wonderfully intricate colored flower tattoos. The flowers are particularly brilliantly colored and capture some of the most elegant Asian art.

Women who want to emphasize their sophistication and femininity through flower tattoos should consider booking an appointment with her. Take the tattoos up a notch with a leopard incorporated into the flowers.

3 @tattooist_eq

Tattooist making by professional artist
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A tattoo artist working on a client

Another great option in Korea is EQ. EQ's tattoos have been likened to "a cutout frame from human memory enclosed in a long, thin rectangle." They are certainly original and beautiful and are designed to enclose the person's story in a thin, long rectangle (called "Frame").

Before EQ was a tattoo artist, he was an art teacher. His tattoos are inspired by traditional Korean paintings with a palette of colors. EQ draws inspiration from Korean paintings and skills from traditional art. The tattoos are small but detailed.

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2 Krystal tattooer

Young tattoo master
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A tattoo master is standing with her hands crossed while a client is waiting on the couch

One of the most popular and fastest-growing trends among enthusiasts is neo-traditional tattoos. Popularly referred to as Neotrad, this interesting technique blends old-school tattoo art with contemporary features in tattooing, employing vibrant colors, bold lines, and overall polish.

Krystal represents the best of neotrad tattoo specialists Korea has to offer. Her works stand out from the crowd thanks to the delicate touch she uses to create a consistent wave of beauty.

She draws inspiration from traditional tattoo designs with images such as ships, skulls, compasses, and anchors, intricately brought to life through shades of deep red, black, grey, and yellow.

1 @Dokhwa

Close up tattoo artist
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Close up tattoo artist demonstrates the process of getting black tattoo with paint

Dokhwa is easily among the most sought-after tattoo specialists in South Korea. Based in the vibrant capital city, this Seoul tattoo artist impresses with hyperrealistic and bold work, mostly depicting pets and animals. Occasionally, she'll incorporate famous characters from Korean pop culture, although a decent chunk of her work focuses on cute and adorable cats and dogs.

Realism aside, Dhokwa tattoos stand out with their unique sense of personality through the application of a consistent color palette. This not only makes them conspicuous but also allows tattoo enthusiasts to appreciate her talent and craftsmanship.

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