Justice Party's Ryu Ho-jeong "Allow Tattoos"... This Time in a Backless Dress

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] On the 16th, Ryu Ho-jeong, a Justice Party lawmaker, appeared on the lawn in front of the National Assembly main building wearing a purple dress that exposed her back. This was to urge the enactment of the Tattoo Industry Act, which she proposed.

Lawmaker Ryu showcased various purple tattoos on her exposed back. Her office explained that these were not permanent but tattoo stickers. Last August, Ryu sparked a clothing controversy by attending a plenary session of the National Assembly wearing a pink one-piece dress, and this time she was seen as making another bold attempt.

At a press conference held with the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions Tattoo Union on the same day, Ryu criticized, "Tattoos, which can be easily found on the streets, are still illegal," adding, "The closed mindset of Supreme Court justices from 30 years ago is too outdated to be the standard of South Korea in 2021."

Ryu stated, "Tattoos are a person's 'appearance.' They are essentially the same as hair, makeup, fashion, and fitness," and added, "It should be called 'tattoo,' the international standard, not 'munshin' (tattoo) which is considered a remnant of the criminal law." She emphasized, "If the bill passes, not only semi-permanent makeup but tattoos in all sectors will fall within the legal domain."

The Tattoo Industry Act, which was proposed on the 11th and is awaiting submission to the National Assembly's Welfare Committee, aims to legalize the tattoo industry by regulating tattooists' licenses and scope of work, hygiene management obligations of tattoo businesses, and government supervision and management. Ryu's office introduced that "Hong Jun-pyo, an independent lawmaker who has 'eyebrow tattoos,' also joined the bill proposal."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.