Artist
Profile
Ssab
HEAD ARTIST · SEOUL TATTOO STUDIO
Ssab is a 16-year career tattoo artist based in Yongsan, Seoul — running a private studio and academy that has become one of Seoul's most recognized spaces for serious tattoo work.
The name "Ssab" has a story behind it. Before picking up a tattoo machine, Ssab spent years drawing plaster figures — the kind of foundational fine art training where a 4B pencil is your closest companion. That pencil became the original nickname, "4B," which eventually evolved into Ssab. No grand meaning — just an honest trace of where the craft began.
The philosophy is simple but deeply held: a tattoo is a fashion item and the most primal form of self-expression a person can choose. Every client deserves to wear something that truly represents them — not a template, not a trend, but a piece that belongs to them alone. That belief drives Ssab to compare today's work against yesterday's, always pushing further without the noise of comparison to anyone else.
15 awards at domestic and international conventions. Over 500 completed custom works. And a studio built around the conviction that the only standard worth chasing is a better version of yourself.
Specialties
Kim Kun Woo
DIRECTOR
Ssab and I have been friends since elementary school — we're talking the kind of close where our parents know each other. I can't draw a tattoo to save my life, but I'll make sure you don't feel lost navigating a foreign tattoo studio.
Before landing here, I spent a year on a working holiday in Australia, which is where the English actually stuck. I've also rattled around Japan and Southeast Asia enough times that basic Japanese feels natural too. Prior to the tattoo world, I was in the food industry for 12 years (pizza → Korean cuisine → delivery hustle), and before that, a design company where — fun fact — Park Ji-sung's wedding invitation passed through our hands. No, I wasn't the lead designer. Yes, I still mention it.
Oh — and the food thing runs deep. My mom has been running a Korean restaurant for 40 years. I've been cooking alongside her for 10 of those years. So when I say I know Korean food, I mean it in the most literal way possible. If you want a home-cooked Korean meal after your tattoo — samgyeopsal, doenjang jjigae, whatever you've been wanting to try — we can make that happen.
Off the clock: cold beer, good food, movie deep-dives (1,000+ watched — director and all), and music that probably no one else in the room knows. If you want Seoul food recommendations or just someone to chat with while you wait — I'm your person.
The Artist's Journey
First Steps
Began a formal apprenticeship at a renowned Seoul studio, building a solid foundation from the ground up.
First Award
Won Gold in Blackwork at the Korean Tattoo Convention — a turning point that put Seoultattoosalon on the industry map.
Opened Own Studio
Launched a personal studio in Yongsan, Seoul. A space built around artistic philosophy and client care.
Asia Tour
Attended tattoo conventions in Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Bangkok as a guest artist, expanding an international perspective.
Canada Convention
Participated in a major Canadian tattoo convention as a featured international artist — bringing Seoul's blackwork aesthetic to the North American stage.
15 Awards Won
Accumulated 15 awards at domestic and international conventions, cementing a place among the top artists.