Alright I see tattoo questions pop up once in a while and I'm rarely satisfied with people's answers. I've been meaning to put together something for the occasion, so here we go:
That being said...As an avid tattoo collector and aesthete, I'd like to give some unasked-for advice that you're almost definitely going to ignore:
don't get anything too visible. No hands, no neck, no face, no forearms or wrists
if you're young enough to be asking about legal age, you should probably wait a few years. I don't know any decently tattooed folk who don't have at least one piece that they regret, either because of the placement or because the concept didn't age as gracefully as they thought it would.
Don't be afraid to walk out of a studio if you notice the artist doesn't autoclave his machines, or wrap his wires, or change out gloves after touching non-sterilized surfaces. Infections are not something you want to fuck around with, I promise.
possibly the most important thing anyone will ever tell anyone about getting tattooed: LEARN HOW TO PROPERLY EVALUATE AN ARTIST'S PORTFOLIO. Familiarize yourself with the terminology, the different art styles, and above all else, just look at a lot of good artists' work. Develop a critical eye when it comes to linework, color packing, and proportions.
There are some truly fantastic artists in Korea, but there is also a metric fuckton of shitty ones. The dynamic of the scene here is a little different than Western ones because of the lack of industry regulation and safety standards, restrictions on advertising, and persistent stigmas surrounding tattooed individuals. You can definitely get good work done here