The meaning of tattoos

Here’s this week’s question from one of our readers, Daniel A. Warner, on Korean language and customs:

Q:
I read an article in the JoongAng Daily about tattoos and had a question you might be able to help me with.

I am an English teacher in Korea and have been here for three years now.

I recently got a tattoo of the Korean flag on my arm. I did this out of respect for a nation I have grown to respect and care for. My question is, will Koreans who see this be offended? My aim in getting this done was to show my respect for an amazing country and I don’t want to offend anyone.

A:
Although tattoos are being sported by young Koreans as a kind of hip or arty fashion these days, tattoos in general still carry a negative connotation in Korea. For generations, tattoos have been interpreted as a sign of subversion or strong resistance against authority and social norms. Rebels and underground organized crime rings are associated with tattoos; flashing a tattoo is considered a visual threat to people or society. For this reason, many public places such as swimming pools, theme parks and bath houses ban customers with tattoos. Tattooing is also illegal in Korea.

Expressing personal admiration or respect for Korea and its people should come through means that are acceptable here, such as following rules, speaking the language well and so forth.