Looking at the future, his goal is to become an all-round artist, able to express himself and challenge any request that comes his way, always bringing his personality into play. And his dream is to go and get some work experience in the US.
Looking back, Korean tattoo artist Hajun Ko‘s story is linked to tattooing as a passion, to a musical collage as a school education and to a very strong interest in Japanese style and American Traditional tattoos. In the present, however, his passion is for East Asian art themes and for the traditional Chinese colours, Korean patterns and Japanese style in tattooing, as he tells us in this interview.
![Tattoo by Hajun Ko, @juniism_](https://www.tattoolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Tattoo-by-Hajun-Ko-@juniism_1.jpg)
Hi! Nice to meet you here on Tattoo Life. Would you like to introduce yourself to our readers?
Hello, I’m Hajun Ko, and I’ve been working as a tattoo artist in Korea for over three years. I won a second place and won at the ‘Tattoostar Awards’ held in Korea, and I was also awarded a convention citation. I’m currently a pro-team member of “Emalla Tattoo,” “Proper Aftercare,” and I’m also a road crew member of “Quantum Tattoo ink.” I’m also an ambassador artist of “Tattd.” I like to experience various genres, study, and at the moment the genre that I am most interested in is Japanese. I’ve also travelled to the U.S. and Taiwan to study tattoo culture. I’m currently 23 years old, and I recently held a seminar related to tattoos, and the seminar was successful.
![Tattoo by Hajun Ko, @juniism_](https://www.tattoolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Tattoo-by-Hajun-Ko-@juniism_3.jpg)
You live and work in Korea, how did you decide to be a tattoo artist?
I was born and raised in Korea. I was very interested in tattoos since I was young. Since school I have always been drawing subjects related to tattoo designs. As I didn’t have any knowledge of tattoo genres, I liked to follow various genres.
I liked to draw various tattoo designs such as American Traditional, Japanese, and Black Work.
At school I was often drawing tattoo designs on paper, and one day my friends who were interested in tattoos asked me to draw something on their arms and make it look as if they were tattooed. Then, as I went to high school, I seriously thought about my future. In Korea, tattoo artists were neither a safe nor a respected profession, so I had no choice but to choose another job. If I had told my parents and teachers at the time that I would have become a tattoo artist, I probably would not have been a tattoo artist for the rest of my life.
![Tattoo by Hajun Ko, @juniism_](https://www.tattoolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Tattoo-by-Hajun-Ko-@juniism_4.jpg)
I decided to become a composer after seriously contemplating my future. However, it was hard to give up the habit of drawing tattoo designs and kept drawing tattoo designs while studying music. And then, as I had this passion for tattoos, I bought a tattoo machine and started practicing on Fake Skin, just as a hobby. But my parents wanted me to continue my studies in music and I went to university with a major in practical music and composition. When I went to college, it was already time to work on tattoos on my friends’ bodies. When I was in college, I studied music, worked on tattoos for my friends and friends’ acquaintances, and thought a lot about my career path.
![Tattoo by Hajun Ko, @juniism_](https://www.tattoolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Tattoo-by-Hajun-Ko-@juniism_2.jpg)
Then, my passion for tattoos became full and I ended up taking a leave of absence from college. Except for music-essential major classes, all classes were filled with art-related classes. After taking a leave of absence from college, I was ready to go to another country to study tattooing. This is because studying tattooing is not easy in Korea. The first country I went to study tattoo was Taiwan. While studying Chinese at the same time in Taiwan, I went to various tattoo studios. However, Taiwanese tattoo artists did not give their know-how easily, and it was difficult to communicate with some artists who tried to teach me because my Chinese proficiency was very basic. After less than a season, I returned to Korea. So I decided to study in Korea again and started exploring various studios in Korea. Eventually, I got a job at The Inked studio located in Seoul, where various excellent artists belong.
![Tattoo by Hajun Ko, @juniism_](https://www.tattoolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Tattoo-by-Hajun-Ko-@juniism_5.jpg)
Do you have an art background?
I think I’ve been good at drawing since I was a student and I actually drew better than friends who studied art. I usually draw with pencil No. 2. It might be funny, but I think No. 2 pencil is very suitable for expressing tattoos. The No.2 pencil can produce light and shade when rubbed by hand on the skin, and the thickness of the line can be adjusted using the force of pressure, and it remains on the body like a real tattoo. I used No. 2 pencil to express various genres such as American Traditional and Japanese. But in the end, I could only draw a black and grey picture, so I think that’s why I was attracted to colour tattoos. I guess that’s why I’m working with a lot of colours now.
![Tattoo by Hajun Ko, @juniism_](https://www.tattoolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Tattoo-by-Hajun-Ko-@juniism_6.jpg)
When I was studying music, my teachers beat me up a lot. It may seem interesting that there is still a teacher beating a student. I have been abused more than 100 times a day by teachers. So I dropped out of high school and studied music at home. While studying music, I worked part-time, passed the GED without any problems, and often drew pictures. Then I had more time to draw, and eventually I started studying tattooing when I was 19. But I didn’t officially learn to paint following a proper course. After about two years, my parents wanted me to go to college to study music. So I prepared for my college entrance exam and entered university. Even when I was at college, I continued to work on tattoos and took only tattoo-related classes as a liberal arts subject. For example, classes such as art and marketing. After about two years in college, I took a leave of absence from college and focused on tattoos when my passion for tattoos reached its peak.
![Tattoo by Hajun Ko, @juniism_](https://www.tattoolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Tattoo-by-Hajun-Ko-@juniism_7.jpg)
You can offer a variety of styles, from Oriental to Realistic. Can you describe your work?
My dream as a tattoo artist is to be an all-rounder artist who can work on all genres. That’s why every year the tattoo style I study changes every year. I change my genre often and there are rules that I always follow.
1. Study and research as much as I can
2. I won’t change the style until I master it
3. If there is a master in that style that I want to study, I will search and study many similar artists
4. Whatever the style, I will add my personality
Through this process, I have become a versatile artist who can work on various styles now. There are styles I haven’t studied yet, and I haven’t mastered the Japanese tattoo that I’m most interested in. I’m still studying and working on that genre. But if you’re going to study, do it right. To study roughly is never a good choice.
I can currently work on various genres such as colour realism, black & grey, Japanese, watercolour, animation, fine line, and so on.
Except for black and grey, most of the work is done using colour. I like the contrast that colour creates in a picture seen from a distance. And when I work, I usually use watercolours rather than colour ink undiluted solution.
![Tattoo by Hajun Ko, @juniism_](https://www.tattoolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Tattoo-by-Hajun-Ko-@juniism_8.jpg)
Are there some subjects you prefer for your tattoos?
I mainly like topics related to East Asia. Maybe it’s because I’m Korean. I think studying East Asian history from a young age led my interest to East Asian art. That’s why I often use traditional Chinese colours, Japanese drawing styles, and Korean patterns. I only use what I think is cool by my standards. Thankfully, a lot of people think I’m cool and like my work. Thank you again to everyone who showed interest in me.
You like to draw manga, are there any other themes you like to tattoo? How do you personalize them?
Actually, I didn’t like manga. As I mentioned earlier, I liked the drawing technique of Japan and most of the animation is based on it, so I liked to work on it because it looked cool to me. Currently, the genre I want to work on most is the Japanese style. I’ve been working on a lot of Japanese, but I still feel I’m not good enough. This is my original personality, too.
I always doubt my artistry and technique, and I have a personality that creates a driving force for myself.
That’s why I was able to grow fast. Most Japanese work is based on their culture. I have to work freehand, understand their culture, and follow the rules. So the more I work, the more I feel my skills improve and the more I think it’s an attractive genre. If you look at my tattoos, you can see that I use a lot of colour. I tend to think that when I work with colour, I’m more complete, and thanks to colour I manage to create a great contrast that makes works look wonderful also from a distance. Of course, this is my subjective opinion. So I’m doing a lot of work using colour.
I use colour ink stock solution and water colour together, so I create smoother works. I think this is the characteristic of my work.
Currently, I’m working on creating a piece that clearly expresses my personality. What I’m thinking about now is to add my personality to the Japanese background work. I’m thinking of pointed waves, lively clouds, and short broken rocks.
![Tattoo by Hajun Ko, @juniism_](https://www.tattoolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Tattoo-by-Hajun-Ko-@juniism_9.jpg)
You are ambassador of some colour suppliers’ brand, who are them?
I’m currently sponsored by Emalla, Proper Aftercare and Quantum Tattoo ink, and I’ve become an Ambassador artist of Tattd. Actually I don’t know exactly who are the other sponsored artists. But I understand that the Road Crew of Quantum Tattooink company has a small number of outstanding artists, and only three artists are from Korea: Horikaka, Majorink Jackson, and I. “Horikaka” and “Majorink Jackson” are my seniors and are actually two of my most respected artists. I always respect them and think of them as role models.
Somehow, I’m so honored to be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with them.
Do you like to attend conventions?
Sure. I love conventions and expos. Unfortunately, there are only a few conventions, let alone expos, in Korea. I recently participated in the Inspire competition, which was held in Korea on Feb. 17. I couldn’t participate in the tattoo model category because I didn’t have time to prepare. Most Koreans have very negative thoughts about tattoos. So there are various other elements besides tattoo models. Therefore, Korean conventions often hold art-related contests in addition to tattoos. In the Inspire competition, I won both tattoo artwork and bottle art. There are three categories held in the Inspire competition: Artwork, Bottle Art, and Tattoo Model. Inspire is the most prestigious tattoo convention held in Korea. I’m so grateful and honoured to have won all the categories I participated in. If I get an American artist visa, I would like to participate in as many contests as possible. I think every competition is an inspiration to me and a stimulus to study harder.
![Tattoo by Hajun Ko, @juniism_](https://www.tattoolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Tattoo-by-Hajun-Ko-@juniism_10.jpg)
You won the second place at Korean tattoo convention? What was the tattoo you presented at the contest?
That’s right, I won second place and winning at the Tattoostar Awards held in Korea, and I was also awarded a convention citation. I’m Black Model Large Category Winner, Fake Skin 2D Colour won second place. I won the Winning in the Model Contest for black work. Topics included skulls, hourglass, and poseidon. Fake Skin won second place for producing Japanese-themed colour works. Personally, Fake Skin was harder than preparing for the model contest. It took a considerable amount of time because the ink doesn’t work as well as on skin. I spent a few days working also at night on Fake Skin.
When was it?
I participated in the 4th Tattoostar Awards, which was held in May 2023. This was also my first convention. There were so many amazing and respectful tattoo artists. Thankfully, I won two awards, and thanks to that, I even received the Convention Citation Award.
Any plan that you like to share with our readers for the next future?
I’m currently preparing for an American artist visa. I’ll try hard to expand my art as I’ve done so far. I was able to accomplish so many things at a young age because I’va always loved to challenge endlessly. I’d like to mention to my readers one of my favourite phrases: “Don’t curse the person who fell. He’s on his way.” Thank you for reading my long post. I wish everyone a happy 2024.