South Korea’s ‘illegal’ tattoo artists fight to change laws that say only doctors can apply ink

Tattoo artist Kim Do-yoon, also known by his professional name “Doy”, has tattooed at least 10,000 people over his 14-year career. Doy even counts Hollywood superstar Brad Pitt among his customers. But his job is not legal under current law in South Korean. While the legislation does not prohibit the application of tattoos, the process is considered a medical procedure that must be done by a qualified doctor, leaving most tattoo artists in legal limbo.