For many decades, South Korea remained one of the most paradoxical points on the global map of tattoo art. On one hand, Seoul has become a true mecca for connoisseurs of refined, hyperrealistic, and microscopically detailed tattoos, setting trends for the entire world. On the other hand, the very existence of this industry was outside the law for over thirty years. Artists whose works gather millions of likes on Instagram were forced to work in deep underground, hiding from the police and risking real prison sentences. Today, this situation is drastically changing, opening a new chapter in the history of Eastern body art.