Question from Ally:

I’ve had some Korean friends say they’re quite neutral towards tattoos and a few that seem to be put off by the very idea of tattoos so I’m quite curious with how your husband feels about them.

I think the simplest answer is that Korea is still very conservative about tattoos. I remember one reaction my husband had.

I laughed a lot at this because the reaction seemed so strong to me as a Western person living in a country where tattoos are quite normal.

Sometimes I challenge him and ask about one of his good (Korean) friends who has a very large tattoo on his arm and shoulder. My husband says, “That’s different, he’s my friend.” He has some other Korean friends with tattoos too and he doesn’t judge them, also he sometimes admires nice tattoos on cool buff guys, but still his view is quite judgmental of Koreans in general getting tattoos. I think this is quite representative of Korean culture where people are loyal to their friends and family but very judgmental of those outside their circles.

My husband is by no means very conservative either. He married a foreign woman, he has traveled a lot, he hasn’t conformed exactly to Korean society, he has his ear pierced, but even to him tattoos are somewhat undesirable.

So while some Kpop stars have many tattoos that does not mean the average Korean has them or is accepting of them. If they have one it’s likely they’d have to make sure it’s always hidden at work and hidden from parents. Though, the same way views about tattoos in Western society gradually changed, views in Korean society will probably gradually change too. My husband is 30, his view may be different to Koreans who are 20.