The government has set in motion a plan to legalize tattooing by nonmedical practitioners. Currently, only medical professionals are authorized to administer tattoos in Korea.

According to the Health Ministry on Thursday, it commissioned research earlier this month to develop a national qualification exam for tattoo practitioners.

The result of that study, set to be published in November this year, will likely serve as a reference for formulating details of the licensing exam for tattooists and for establishing sanitary and safety education policies.

The ministry’s move is a “response to proposed bills in the National Assembly,” an official said.

Between 2020 and 2023, a total of 11 bills have been proposed to decriminalize tattoo artists and recognize tattooing as a form of art, rather than a medical service.

Since a Supreme Court ruling in 1992, the country has restricted the application of tattoos to licensed medical professionals, categorizing it as a medical service due to infection risks associated with ink implantation into human skin.

The government's research is anticipated to face opposition from medical groups, as they have consistently stressed that only individuals with medical licenses should be authorized to apply tattoos.

It comes amid an ever-intensifying clash between doctors and the government over the government’s plan to hike the number of student seats in universities, for the first time since 1998. Doctors have strongly opposed this hike, which led to a prolonged walkout by trainee doctors nationwide.