PETALING JAYA, Jan 20 — BTS member Jungkook surprised fans recently after he appeared on the web series Run BTS with several tattoos on his right arm.
During the episode, the 23-year-old and his fellow BTS members were challenged to prepare a dish under the guidance of famous South Korean chef Baek Jong-won.
However, BTS fans, known collectively as the Army, could hardly focus on the food once Jungkook rolled up his sleeves to start cooking.
His tattoos caught the attention of Korean social media as the country still holds a conservative attitude towards permanent body art.
Celebrities are often forced to cover up their ink with bandages or have them digitally blurred out in broadcasts due to the negative stigma that links tattoos with anti-social behaviour and gangsterism.
Screenshots of Jungkook’s tattoos then made their way onto the Korean forum The Qoo where social media users weighed in on the cultural attitudes surrounding body art.
Some were less than pleased to see the Boy With Luv singer’s tattoos, saying they looked “dirty” and “terrible.”
Another user said Jungkook shouldn’t have “ruined his body” by getting tattoos.
On the flip side, many commenters were supportive of Jungkook’s decision to get inked and hoped that Korean society would be more accepting of tattoos in the future.
“He did it for himself so I wish he could show it off without covering it,” said one user, based on translations by Koreaboo.
Jungkook has at least 18 known tattoos, many of which reference his love for music and the BTS fandom.
These include a microphone tattooed on his right arm and the letters for Army spelt out on the knuckles of his right hand.
