Non-medical Tattooing Punishment 'Constitutional'... Medical Community Calls It a "Natural Decision to Protect Public Health"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] The medical community has expressed that the Constitutional Court's decision to uphold the constitutionality of the Medical Service Act provisions prohibiting tattoo procedures by non-medical personnel and penalizing violations is a "natural outcome."

The Korean Medical Association released a statement on the 1st, saying, "We view this as a natural result to protect the public's right to health and express our strong welcome."

Earlier, on the 31st of last month, the Constitutional Court dismissed a constitutional complaint filed by tattoo artists performing artistic tattoos or semi-permanent tattoos, who argued that Article 27, Paragraph 1 of the Medical Service Act infringed on their freedom of occupational choice, with a 5 (dismissal) to 4 (opposition) vote by the justices.

The Court stated, "Since tattooing involves risks such as side effects that may affect public hygiene, allowing only medical professionals to perform tattoo procedures for the sake of public health and hygiene cannot be considered unconstitutional."

The KMA commented, "Even if non-medical personnel undergo long-term training in knowledge and skills for tattooing, because the subject is the human body, they cannot guarantee the same level of safety and complete medical care as medical professionals, thus posing health and hygiene risks," adding, "this Constitutional Court decision reaffirms that the health and safety of the public are the highest constitutional values and that medical acts must naturally be performed by medical professionals."

Furthermore, they stated, "For the sake of safe freedom of expression, the non-medical tattoo industry is recommended to seek alternative tattooing methods using new technologies that exclude invasive procedures," and "we will continue to strengthen efforts to monitor and eliminate unlicensed medical practices to prevent widespread harmful behaviors that threaten public health and disrupt the healthcare order."

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