Yongin City Signs Public-Private Partnership for Youth Tattoo Removal Services

Yongin City has joined forces with the East Yongin Police Station, Yongin Medical Association, and Yongin Office of Education to support youth tattoo removal. The city held a "Youth Tattoo Removal Service Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Signing Ceremony" at Yongin City Hall on the 29th of last month to promote the healthy future of young people.

Currently, there are 66,500 middle and high school students in Yongin City, of which 2,130 students (1.17%) are school dropouts. An increasing number of out-of-school youth are getting tattoos at illegal establishments due to curiosity and peer pressure.

This is having a negative impact on social activities and employment due to social stigma and negative perceptions of tattoos, particularly among older generations who hold unfavorable views of tattooing.

While many young people regret impulsive tattoos and wish to remove them, numerous adolescents are turning to unlicensed tattoo removal facilities rather than medical institutions due to medical cost concerns.

To support these youth through safe and professional medical tattoo removal services and education, allowing them to develop into physically and mentally healthy young people, Mayor Kim Hak-gyu of Yongin City, Police Chief Jung Seung-ho of the East Yongin Police Station, Medical Association President Choo Moo-jin of Yongin, and Education Superintendent Cha Hye-sook of Yongin Office of Education came together to sign the "Youth Tattoo Removal Service MOU."

The Yongin Medical Association, which signed the MOU with Yongin City, will provide medical support for tattoo removal services. The East Yongin Police Station and Yongin Office of Education will provide counseling and educational support to identify eligible candidates and prevent re-tattooing.

Yongin City will also establish basic plans and implementation measures, conduct semi-annual evaluation meetings, coordinate with related institutions and organizations such as the Youth Counseling and Welfare Center and youth shelters, and maintain a continuous management system while promoting smooth project implementation and public awareness.

A city official stated, "Through this agreement, we will provide safe tattoo removal procedures to youth suffering from tattoos, help them recover confidence from tattoo-related complexes, resolve emotional distress such as depression, and create an opportunity for them to leap toward a healthy future. We have taken a strong first step toward making Yongin a 'happy city where we work together' with both the bodies and minds of youth healthy."