Idols Who Helped Break South Korea’s Stereotype Against Tattoos

South Korea in the past used to be quite a conservative country, and to a certain extent, still is in comparison to most countries in the West.

Lin, Staff Writer
3 min to read · Published : Aug 21, 2020 · Updated : Apr 18, 2023

Idols Who Helped Break South Korea’s Stereotype Against Tattoos

AOMG

South Korea in the past used to be quite a conservative country, and to a certain extent, still is in comparison to most countries in the West.

Tattoos have often been viewed in a negative light by most people in the past.

Of course, thanks to the influence of celebrities and idols in the K-Pop industry, the views on tattoos have slowly been changing, and it's actually quite common for both men and women to have a tattoo these days.

They may not be inked all over, but a few small ones have been quite popular among the younger generation of South Koreans.

And as long as your tattoos don't look like this...

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You should be fine.

Below are some of the notable K-Pop celebrities who have helped make tattoo culture more accepted by South Korean society.

Jay Park

The AOMG frontman is K-Pop's resident bad boy. Of course, Jay Park has a lot more tattoos than most K-Pop idols, and sometimes might come off as intimidating for some South Koreans who aren't too familiar with tattoo culture. But he's actually one of the most influential when it comes to this certain topic.

His sweet personality and admirable character has helped break the stereotype about people who get inked.

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G-Dragon (BIGBANG)

G-Dragon, one of the nation's biggest superstar, has also been a huge contribution in helping break the stereotype on tattoos in South Korea.

The heart tattoo shown below is actually one tattoo that is a good example of how it can be used to support a cause. The tattoo was his sign of support for the LGBT community.

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JungKook (BTS)

Many have been quite interested in JungKook's tattoos, because earlier on, no one expected him to have tattoos, given his rabbit-like character who is always innocent smiles.

His tattoo is, as you can see, dedicated to the one and only ARMY, his fans.