As the possibility of legalizing tattooing by non-medical professionals grows, the Korean Dermatological Association has come out against it, calling for the bill’s overall review and immediate repeal.

The association pointed out that although the legislative subcommittee of the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee proposed an alternative bill that strengthens obligations for user safety, it is merely a formality.

“This is a dangerous legislative attempt that disregards the obvious medical nature of tattooing and the numerous risks that arise from it, and is being pushed through hastily in response to the demands of certain industries and short-term public opinion,” the association said in a statement issued last Friday.

Defining tattooing as “a clear invasive medical procedure, not a cosmetic procedure,” the group emphasized that court precedents have consistently ruled it as “a medical procedure posing a significant risk to public health and hygiene.” It further criticized that “allowing non-medical professionals to perform tattooing under the guise of art is equivalent to exposing the public's bodies to potential risks without any protection.”

The group also reiterated warnings about the risk of medical complications from tattoos.

“In addition to infectious diseases, including secondary bacterial infections, serious immunological side effects such as foreign body granulomas can occur,” the association noted. “Cases of malignant melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and other fatal skin cancers occurring in tattooed areas have been continuously reported.”

The dermatologist group also criticized the safety measures included in the bill as “extremely superficial.” The dermatologists emphasized that “complex medical risks cannot be controlled through simple hygiene education alone and can only be managed by medical professionals with specialized medical knowledge.”

“Implicitly allowing non-medical professionals to use local anesthetics is the legalization of illegal acts that undermine the foundation of the Medical Service and the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act,” it said. “The provision requiring practitioners to record and store dye information is nothing more than a token measure with no practical effect, given the reality that ingredient labeling is often inaccurate.”

Additionally, it pointed out that “allowing tattooing while prohibiting tattoo removal grants practitioners irresponsible authority, leading to serious moral hazard.”

The association stressed that “tattoos can become permanent scars that cannot be fully reversed even with immense pain, costs, and time,” declaring that entrusting irreversible invasive procedures to non-experts can never be justified under the guise of regulatory relaxation or freedom of occupational choice.

It also strongly urged the National Assembly to “immediately halt efforts to establish tattoo legislation and completely scrap the bill, based on scientific evidence and the long-term health of the public.”