South Korea legalises tattooing by non-medical professionals after three decades of ban

Members of the Korea Tattoo Federation celebrate after hearing the news that parliament passed a bill that would allow non-medical personnel to give tattoos outside the National Assembly, in Seoul - (AP)

South Korea has passed landmark legislation to legalise tattooing by non-medical professionals, ending more than 30 years of prohibition that had forced thousands of artists to work in the shadows.

The National Assembly approved the so-called Tattooist Act on Thursday, with 195 lawmakers voting in favour and seven abstaining out of 202 present. The law will come into force two years after promulgation, with a further two-year transitional period allowing for provisional registrations and other measures for current practitioners.