Back then, tattoos have a negative connotation and when you have one, many will automatically assume you’re a troublesome person, as those who went into prison usually have them.

Now, it is considered an art and a lot of people get tattoos to express themselves or to commemorate something important to them. Even in Korea that is quite a  conservative country, locals are getting inked.

In fact, even celebrities have tattoos and here are some female artists who have it!

HA:TFELT

HAT:FELT is Wonder Girls’ former leader and vocalist who is more commonly known as Yenny or Ye Eun. She has always been vocal on feminism, and she constantly talks about this agenda on several interviews.

Yenny’s tattoos is just one way to promote women empowerment, as it shows that ladies have the right to do what ever they want on their bodies. She has more than 10 inks all over her body, but a fan-favourite is the Gryffindor sword located in her thigh from the series Harry Potter!

Baek Yerin

Baek Yerin used to be a member of JYP Entertainment’s duo 15& along with fellow singer Park Jimin. When her contract expired in 2019, she founded her own company Blue Vinyl, and continued releasing songs through the label.

Yerin’s tattoos are very prominent as most of them are located in both of her arm sleeves. A lot of people have praised her for being confident in her own body, but not everyone seems to be a fan of her inks.

Recently, she has responded to a comment telling her to stop getting tattoos, as no one would put stickers on a Bentley. Her response? “I’m not a Bentley, I’m just Yerin.”

You go girl!

TWICE’s Chaeyoung

Chaeyoung is known to be the artistic member of the group, showcasing her talent in drawing in many variety shows. Tattoos are quite rare for a female idol, especially if they’re a part of younger groups, which is why her inks gained so much attention from fans.

During music show broadcasts, tattoos are also covered so it’s hard to see Chaeyoung’s inks. Fortunately, her latest photo-shoot with Oh Boy! Magazine gave us a better view of her body art!

Gong Hyo Jin

Most actors and actresses would pass on getting a tattoo as it may restrict the roles that they can get.  And if ever they would get one, they’d choose to put it in a hidden area so it won’t be so visible on shoots.

Korean actress Gong Hyo Jin is one of the few celebrities who has an evident tattoo as it is located on her upper arm. While we don’t really see it on her hit dramas like The Master’s Sun and When Camellia Blooms, she’s not afraid to show it off during magazine appearances!

Han Ye Seul

Another actress with a tattoo on our list is Han Ye Seul, also known as Leslie Kim. She was born and raised in California, and began her career as a model in Korea in 2001.

She then started acting and has appeared in hit dramas like Couple or Trouble and Tazza. Ye Seul has a total of 12 tattoos, and all of them have a significant meaning.

For example, she got the snake ink because she wants to have wisdom like the animal that can deal with cunning people. Since snakes can shed their skin, Ye Seul also wishes to leave her past behind and enjoy her future.

Jessi

Jessi is the embodiment of badass, and what’s more badass than a tattoo? The Korean-American rapper has a total of 8 inks on her body, including a huge art on her back.

And although Jessi has a “tough” image among the public, she is actually very sweet to her fans! One of her tattoo - the swallow on her arm, actually represents her fandom “Jaebi”, the Korean word for the bird.

MAMAMOO’s Hwasa

If you’re an avid MOO MOO, then you know that Hwasa has a “Resonance” friendship tattoo with one of the members Whee In. But aside from that, she also has other inks.

She has her baptismal name “Maria” on her nape, the saying “Paradise is where you are” on her arm, The Trinity Knot on top of the quote, and the word “Caddo” on her neck, another twinning ink she got to celebrate her and Whee In’s 10 year friendship.

According to them, the word means “someone who carries your sorrows on her back”. Meanwhile, her recent ink is located on her fingers symbolising “Resonant” and “Planetary”.

 So if you’re looking for a sign to get a tattoo, this is probably it. If your favourite K-celebs can do it, so can you ;)