In the most recent episode of "Run BTS!", fans finally saw more of member Jungkook's sleeve tattoo. The ink on his arm, however, received wildly mixed opinions from viewers.
In this episode, BTS meets with celebrity chef Baek Jong Won to cook food. Fans were highly excited to see the boys in the kitchen, but the member that caught people's eyes was Jungkook. When he rolled up his sleeves to prepare the food, fans were finally able to see more of the tattoo on his sleeve.
This is the first time fans have been able to see his ink on his arm so clearly. Broadcasting networks would always blur out Jungkook's tattoos when the idol was featured on a show. Additionally, due to the cold weather in South Korea, all of the idol's public appearances featured him in long-sleeved clothing, effectively hiding the tattoos from the public eye. After being teased with fleeting glances of the sleeve tattoo, fans are finally able to see how it really looks like.
Fans were surprised to see that Jungkook had more tattoos than they had expected. While ARMYs are aware that Jungkook's tattoo collection is slowly growing, many were unaware of just how much ink the man has on his skin. Without censorships, fans are finally able to look more into the details on his right arm.
Tattoos in the South Korean industry is still taboo, though it is getting more popular among idols and with the youth. Many older people in South Korean society still think tattooing is heavily associated with gangsters, criminals, and people who commit crimes of violence. It is highly linked with rebellion, due to the Confucian belief that a person's body is an important gift from your parents, so you should not tamper with it.
Additionally, tattoos are considered a medical procedure in South Korea, meaningly only qualified medical practitioners are allowed to tattoo on people. There are still underground tattoo shops, but if found being in the business, a tattoo artist can be sent to two-years behind bars.
However, other idols (like Jungkook), have tattoos. Still, people tend to hide it, either with their clothing or with skin-colored patches and stickers. Major networks are extremely strict with censorship and tend to blur out people's tattoos.
Due to the stigma against tattoos, many people were extremely disappointed in Jungkook's in. Many people said that they hated how the tattoos looked on him, with some people going so far as to say that it looked "terrible" or made him look dirty. Many believed that an idol who represents South Korea on a global scale should not be so inked.
Others defended Jungkook, however, Many noted that tattoos are based on personal preference and he got tattoos for himself and not for other people. People expressed fascination over the tattoos and his growing collection, while others said that Jungkook probably does not care about people's opinions of his tattoos, especially since he has conquered the K-pop world.
What do you think of Jungkook's tattoos?
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Written by Alexa Lewis
