Health ministry surveys tattoo shops ahead of 2027 licensing law

The Ministry of Health and Welfare said Thursday it will survey tattoo businesses and artists nationwide for a month, starting the same day, to prepare for a licensing law that takes effect in October 2027.

The poll, conducted by the Korea Productivity Association, will run through Nov. 22 and aims to establish how many tattoo shops and practitioners operate in South Korea and how they work. The results will underpin the national exam, licensing and training system for tattoo artists and hygiene and safety rules, the ministry said.

Shop owners are asked to respond on behalf of their businesses, while artists who work independently, including freelancers, are asked to answer for themselves. The questionnaire covers general shop information, staffing and the volume of procedures performed, and takes about three minutes to complete online through a link or QR code.

"This survey is the first step toward gauging the scale of tattoo shops and practitioners in the country and building the institutional groundwork needed to enforce the Tattoo Artists Act," said Kim Han-suk, head of the ministry's health policy bureau. She added that participation would help design a system that reflects conditions and views from the field.

The ministry said the findings will also inform estimates of how many people will sit the national exam and need hygiene training, the cost calculations behind those programs, and plans for handling waste generated by tattoo procedures.

The Tattoo Artists Act was enacted and promulgated on Oct. 28, 2025, giving the government a two-year preparation period before it takes effect on Oct. 29, 2027.