Tattoos at bathhouses, gyms and pools
문신과 입장
The national hygiene rules for bathhouses say nothing about tattoos, and we know of no national rule about tattoos in gyms. Whether you can go in is a house policy, decided shop by shop, which is exactly why the answers you find online contradict each other.
What the range looks like
Some places do not mind. Some have a sign, often only in Korean, saying that guests with tattoos may not use the bath. Some may let a small tattoo pass and stop someone with a large one. Some ask you to cover it with a patch or a rash guard, which is easier at a gym or a pool than in a bath area where clothing is not worn. You cannot tell which kind of place it is from the outside.
Why the old advice is unreliable
A policy is a decision by whoever runs the place, so it can change when the owner or the manager changes, and a review from three years ago is evidence about three years ago. A friendly visit also does not prove a policy: a person can walk in without being stopped at a place that would have stopped them on a different shift.
What we do about it
We ask venues directly and record the answer with the date it was given. In the place details you will see one of three states: confirmed allowed, confirmed not allowed, or not confirmed yet. Not confirmed yet means exactly that, and we would rather show you a gap than guess.
If it is not confirmed
Ask before you pay. It takes a few seconds at the counter, and being turned away after changing is worse.
Phrases to show staff
Show the Korean line on your phone, or say it aloud: the spelling in brackets reads like English.
- 문신이 있는데 이용할 수 있나요?
- I have a tattoo. May I still use the facility?
- Munsini inneunde iyonghal su innayo? (moon-shee-nee een-neun-deh ee-yong-hahl ssoo een-nah-yoh?)