▲This photo, provided by Wavve, shows the poster of 'The Tattooist' (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE)(Yonhap)

 

▲This photo, provided by Wavve, shows 'The Tattooist' (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE)(Yonhap)

 

▲This photo, provided by Wavve, shows tattooist Doy (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE)(Yonhap)

 

 

 

 

SEOUL, December 15 (Yonhap) -- A man with half a finger amputated in a sudden machine accident while at work, a housewife with a large scar after breast cancer surgery, and a stunt actor from "Squid Game" who lost a precious tooth will visit the tattoo shop.

 

They will unfold the story of their visit to the tattoo shop and work with the tattooist to receive tattoos that they will keep for the rest of their lives.

 

"The Tattooist," documentary with four episodes which was released from November 16, contains the stories of customers who visited the tattoo shop set up in a hanok in downtown Seoul.

 

"People who visit tattoo shops often share about the things they usually don't to tattooists who they met for the first time. I thought I could capture people's life stories more honestly through tattoos."

 

Choi Jung-ho PD, the producer of this Wavve original series said during the interview he had with Yonhap News Agency, "I wanted to produce a special human documentary with people's deep stories." 

 

It is very unconventional to choose tattoo as a theme when even actors and singers try to hid their tattoos. It was a lot to produce the documentary as it is illegal to operate a tattoo without a doctor license according to the current law. Choi PD emphasized, "We managed the filming set following the infection control guidelines and the guideline of Green Hospital which developed the sterile tattoo progress and educating it due to hygiene and safety concerns. 

 

Dancer Monika and singer Lee Seok-hoon who had to cover their tattoos with skin colored tapes whenever appearing they were appearing on TV will participate as the manages of the tattoo shop. They will carefully listen to the stories of the customers who visited the tattoo shop with their tattoos on both arms showing

 

Choi PD said, "We tried our best to carefully select the applicants who sincerely need a tattoo, and who are ready to share honest stories of themselves," and added, "I had to use all the relationships I made throughout 20 years of producing diverse documentaries in order to contact all these people."

 

Jeon, who came to cover the scars she made on her own arms in the third episode, is a survivor of the Sewol ferry disaster who Choi PD met while producing his documentary "Memory of 18, Promise of 25."

 

Jeon, who tattooed colorful flowers and yellow ribbons on the scar, looked at her two arms for a long time as if they were unfamiliar, and said, "I don't want to hurt myself anymore because  I don't want to not ruin this tattoo," and this touched the audiences' heart.

 

Producer Choi said, "There were many people with deep stories which would have been hard to share, but thankfully, they took the courage," adding, "Thanks to this, I was able to capture stories of healing and comfort through tattoos."

 

The tattooists of the show are as eye-catching as the customers visiting tattoo shops. Ten famous tattoo artists, including Doy, Rocco, Gong Greem, and Hugo, will work on tattoos solely for the visitors with designs that emphasize their individuality.

 

In particular, Doy, is a tattoo artist who is internationally famous enough to be commissioned to work on Hollywood top stars Brad Pitt, Lily Collins, and Steven Yeun. 

 

Doy, who Yonhap News Agency met in writing, said, "K tattoo is attracting attention from around the world, so many foreigners come to Korea to get tattoos," adding, "I think the charm of K tattoo is to focus on the characteristics of the materials and express them in more detail and beautifully than other tattoos."

 

Doy started working as a tattoo artist after quitting her job in 2006. He said that he worked as a tattoo artist without tattoos for 15 years. 

 

He said, "I finally got my first tattoo when I thought it was meaningless to even think about where to get a tattoo, whether I'll regret after getting it, and more," giving advice to people who are thinking about getting a tattoo. 

 

"There are many people who are hesitating to get a tattoo because they have concerns about their future such as what life they're gonna live and what job they are gonna get. It is correct to not get it when you are hesitating whether to get a tattoo or not. I hope people wait until tattoos become not a big deal for them."

 

 

 

(This article is translated from Korean to English by Dowon Kim.)

 

 

(END) 

 

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