Swedish YouTuber Experiences Discrimination at Japanese Immigration Due to 'Taegukgi Tattoo'

A Swedish YouTuber who has a tattoo of the 'Taegukgi' on his body, expressing his love for Korea, claims that he faced discriminatory treatment and underwent a separate investigation during immigration at a Japanese airport due to this 'tattoo,' sparking controversy.

On the 30th of last month, Swedish YouTuber 'Swegukin,' who has lived in Korea for seven years, posted a video on his channel titled "The Reason I Faced Racist Remarks and Investigation at Japanese Immigration After Showing My Taegukgi Tattoo."

In the released video, Swegukin mentioned that he traveled to Japan last year for a break and referred to the outrageous treatment he received from an official during the immigration process.

According to Swegukin, after the immigration officer discovered the Taegukgi tattoo on his arm, their attitude changed drastically. The officer coldly questioned, "What kind of tattoo is this? Why is a foreigner getting a tattoo of a Korean symbol?"

Swegukin expressed that he "couldn't believe his ears" in response to the officer's words, saying, "What did I do wrong? I'm not pretending to be Korean, nor is it a political statement."

He explained that the tattoo represents "his love for Korea and the precious experiences he gained over seven years of living there," but the problematic officer reportedly responded critically, stating, "Only ordinary Koreans get this."

Even more shocking is the fact that Swegukin was subjected to a separate security interview afterward. In that interview, he recounted being asked questions like, "Who suggested you get the tattoo?" and "What activities did you engage in while in Korea?"

Swegukin remarked, "I felt like I had stepped into North Korea. This happened in Japan in 2024," adding, "While I was angry, what hurt even more was the sadness. It was disheartening that my genuine feelings could be distorted simply because of one tattoo, not my name, nationality, skin color, or language."

In the end, only after expressing his heartfelt feelings about Korea was Swegukin finally granted 'entry.'

Viewers of the video reacted with criticism, expressing comments like, "Is this a new kind of racism?" and "They interrogated him for 30 minutes over a tattoo?"

Some netizens suggested, "Japan has a cultural aversion to tattoos, so we should consider it a cultural difference."

Image source: youtube 'Swegukin,' material photos for understanding the article / News1