Samsung Medical Center Giving Juvenile Delinquents Clean Slate

The Samsung Medical Center announced it is offering medical services to erase tattoo marks without charge for juvenile offenders wishing to reform. The removal of body tatoos also removes the stigma, as tattoo wearers are often associated with criminal gangs, which is hoped will assist former delinquents' reentry into society.
The medical center plans to visit the Anyang Detention House and Seoul Reformatory and select some 90 model inmates serving there. The candidates will have their tattoos examined and those believed to be safely removable will undergo surgical operations in November.
The center, which is assisted by Samsung Life Public Welfare Foundation, has offered juvenile criminals surgical operations to erase unwanted tattoos free of charge since 1996.
Seo Jang-soo:jsbee@joongang.co.kr