The historic decision to legalize tattooing services performed by non-medical professionals has become a true triumph for South Korea’s underground culture. However, as it became clear by October 2025, while tattoo artists celebrate victory over outdated legislation, consumers face an equally serious problem: the inks injected into the skin remain in a regulatory vacuum. The lack of control over the distribution, storage, and composition of pigments poses a real threat to the nation’s health.
Decriminalization and the Shadow Ink Market
Since August 27, when tattoo artists in Seoul officially gained the ability to work legally (the photo captures a master at work), it seemed the main battle was won. But if needles and equipment are relatively easy to control, the situation with consumables is critical. Since inks are injected directly into the dermis, they carry potential dangers, including mercury poisoning, granulomas, and severe allergic reactions, up to anaphylactic shock.
According to information voiced on Monday by Kim Sung-min, a representative of the liberal party “Korea Restoration” and a member of the National Assembly’s Health and Social Welfare Committee, the mandatory business registration for ink production and import, introduced in June, has failed. By the key registration date, only 11 companies (9 manufacturers and 2 importers) had submitted the necessary documents to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS).
Accounting Crisis: 10% Legality
The figure of 11 registered businesses looks catastrophic against the backdrop that previously, the Ministry of Environment listed 105 manufacturers and importers. Thus, only 10 percent of market players have come under the official radar of regulators. The remaining 90% continue to operate in the shadows, supplying pigments whose quality cannot be guaranteed.
Attempts to bring order have met with resistance and chaos. At the end of September, the Ministry of Food Safety conducted an inspection of 23 unregistered companies. The results are striking:
- 18 out of 23 businesses could not be inspected, as they had either closed down or changed their location, completely disappearing from the authorities’ view.
- The remaining 5 companies were merely informed of the need to register.
Moreover, one large importer, actively selling its products through e-commerce giants like Coupang (where a tattoo artist was seen demonstrating inks on August 31), directly stated to the authorities that it has no intention of registering in the future. This highlights the deliberate unwillingness of a part of the industry to comply with safety standards.
Import Collapse and Fictitious Quality Control
A separate and most alarming aspect concerns ink imports. A sharp decline in official declarations indicates either a market collapse or mass smuggling. In 2022, 2074 import declarations were recorded. This year, the figure has plummeted to 42 cases – only 2 percent of the previous volume.
Even worse, out of these 42 batches, only one underwent a full sterile and detailed inspection. Experts note that under normal market functioning, such thorough checks should be conducted at least 1000 times annually. The remaining 41 batches were allowed onto the market on the condition that importers would conduct quality tests themselves within six months. In essence, this shifts the responsibility for safety onto those who are already evading registration.
Expert Analysis: Ink Like Toothpicks
Deputy Kim Sung-min emphasized that the current situation is critical.
“We are stuck at the most basic step – identifying industry players. With only two years left until the full implementation of the law, we must urgently consolidate oversight powers and investigate unregistered companies to prevent gaps in safety management,” she stated.
Kim Sung-min also referred to a report from the Ministry of Food Safety, which revealed that substandard inks can cause serious side effects:
- Flat warts;
- Granulomas;
- Uveitis (inflammation of the vascular layer of the eye);
- Mercury poisoning;
- Anaphylaxis.
“Since inks are injected directly into the skin, their quality is as important as the quality of the needles used,” the politician concluded.
Cultural Context and Regulatory Classification
The biggest problem, reflecting the underestimation of the tattoo industry by the bureaucracy, lies in classification. Currently, tattoo inks are categorized as “sanitary products.” This same category includes disposable items such as toothpicks, wooden chopsticks, and dental floss. This absurd status completely ignores the invasive nature of the tattooing procedure.
The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare is considering reclassifying inks as “medical devices,” considering that they are introduced under the skin using needles. This step, if implemented, would drastically change the requirements for sterility, composition, and storage. For tattoo culture, this would mean an increase in service costs, but simultaneously, an unprecedented rise in trust and safety.
For tattoo artists who have achieved legalization, the task now is to support stricter controls. If cultural legitimacy is not backed by medical safety, the entire industry risks losing public trust. The problem of illegal inks, containing heavy metals and causing poisoning, is not just a bureaucratic oversight but a direct threat that overshadows the joy of a long-awaited legal victory.