News / Entertainment
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fighting the stigma By: Amy Saiauski
outh Korea’s conservative culture has made it difficult to shake the old stigma that a person with tattoos is a member of a gang or has gang affiliation.The last several years, however, have seen an increase in celebrities getting inked. While most do not outright flaunt them, choosing instead to cover them with long sleeves or pants while out in public, they do not hide them in shame either. Several K-Pop idols labels have gone so far as to require them to either cover their tattoos with clothing or use makeup to conceal it. This has led to fans wondering why it is okay to have temporary tattoo’s, which are often flaunted during a groups promotion, but it is not okay to show their real ones.
The answer could lie in the fact that a person’s permanent tattoo has a meaning that only the owner can fully appreciate and also that the temporary tattoos are designed around the concept of the promotion and therefore fit with what the label is trying to convey. Korean hip hop artists tend to have more leeway with expressing themselves and are usually able to freely show their ink while performing. There are several artists who are well known for their tattoos such as Jay Park, Big Bang’s G-Dragon, Dok2, 5Zic from M.I.B, and JYJ’s Jaejoong and Yoochun. Other known artists with tattoos include: 100%-Changbum, 2AM- Jo Kwon, A Prince-Sungwon, Beast- Junghyung, Big Bang-Taeyang, Block B- Zico, Block B- Taeil, Block B- Jaehyo, Brian Joo, BTOB- Changsub, CIIC- Kay Oh, DMTN-Daniel, DMTN-Dari, EXO-M-Kris, F.I.X-Nuri, Huh Gak, LeessangKang Gary, Myname-Gunwoo, N-Sonic-Black J, N-Train- Soul J. Se7en, Super Junior- Kangin, NSuper Junior- Shindong, Super Junior- Sungmin, Teen, Top- C.A.P, U-Kiss- Eli. Ladies: 4Minute-Hyuna, BoA, Brown Eyed GirlsNarsha, F(x)- Amber, Kahi, Lee Hyori, Miss A-Jia.
HM