Meet Dongho Kim | Tattoo artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dongho Kim and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dongho, Let’s talk about principles and values – what matters to you most?
To me, value means challenge, and my principle is consistency. Before becoming a tattoo artist, I was a professional soccer player in Korea. Although I had to retire due to an injury, I learned a lot from my first life. Taking on challenges requires courage, but it also brings experience, new things to learn, and personal growth. If there is something in life that allows me to grow, I am ready to embrace it and accept new things without hesitation. Consistent effort boosts my self-esteem, and knowing that such efforts will eventually lead to good results, I live by consistency as my life’s principle. My current values and principles, shaped by my experiences, failures, and successes in sports, gave me a lot of confidence as I started a new life after retiring. Even now, with the spirit of challenge and consistency, I have the confidence that I can achieve anything.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My tattoo nickname is Dino. I am Korean, and having lived most of my life in Korea, I have naturally immersed myself in Eastern culture. This is reflected in my tattoo style as well. I create my designs based on traditional Eastern motifs and themes. As I mentioned before, I was a soccer player and, until now, I have never participated in school classes. I had never drawn before, so when I first started tattooing, drawing was very difficult and unfamiliar, and I struggled a lot. However, there was one aspect that intrigued me. For example, when I was a soccer player, practicing shooting 100 times did not guarantee that those efforts would result in good performance during a game. This was because sports are highly dynamic and situations change moment by moment, so the practice was aimed at increasing the probability of making a good shot. On the other hand, in drawing, if I draw an apple 100 times, the results of my efforts appear right in front of me with each attempt. This immediate feedback made it very fascinating, and I wanted

Additionally, after retiring from soccer due to multiple surgeries and injuries, I was unable to achieve my ultimate dream and did not want to experience failure again. So I worked very hard and lived diligently. I studied and drew for 4-5 hours a day, and I visited various tattoo studios and world conventions to learn different techniques. Looking back on that time, I believed that hard work would always lead to good results, so no matter how difficult or tiring it was, I overcame those times and believe that is why I am where I am today. Although I have not yet achieved all my goals as a tattoo artist, I am making detailed small and large goals to reach them, and I am continuously working, challenging myself, and moving forward.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Firstly, my favorite place in LA is the Griffith Observatory. It’s so beautiful that I visit it once a week; the night view is stunning, and the sunset beyond the western mountains is also incredibly picturesque. Around LA, there are beautiful beaches and hiking spots. My favorite beach is Venice Beach. It has a very local atmosphere with many shops and diverse people, providing a great place for relaxation. Of course, the most popular spots for visitors to LA are Universal Studios and Disneyland. Even though I’ve been in the US for three years, I’ve already visited Universal Studios five times because of friends and family who come to visit. There are so many food options that it’s hard to recommend just a few. LA’s diverse population means there is a wide variety of cuisine available. From Asian to South American food, my wife and I love exploring different restaurants and trying out various dishes on our days off.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?

If someone were to ask me who I respect the most in the world, I would answer without hesitation that it’s my parents. My parents are incredibly hardworking and honest individuals. I was a professional soccer player in Korea. I started playing soccer professionally at around age 8 and retired at 25. Growing as a soccer player in Korea at that time was a very tough path, and my parents supported me and supported my dream in many ways. They provided financial support for training costs, dormitory fees, equipment, and rehabilitation costs after surgeries, among other expenses. They saved and sacrificed a lot to ensure I had enough support. Although I didn’t fully realize their efforts at the time, after retiring, getting married, and starting a family, I came to understand how remarkable their sacrifices were. My parents made my dream their own and have always been there for me. When I decided to become a tattoo artist after retiring, they supported that decision as well. Although many people are unaware, tattoos are still illegal in Korea as they are classified under medical law, and one needs a medical license to practice tattooing. Who would graduate from medical school, complete graduate school, do an internship, and obtain a medical license just to become a tattoo artist? As a result, tattoo artists in Korea still operate underground, are not recognized as a legitimate profession, and are treated as criminals. I expected my parents to strongly oppose my desire to become a tattoo artist, but contrary to my expectations, they took the lead in researching the future prospects, advantages, and disadvantages of this profession, and supported my dream and second life. Even now, my parents, as my family and as parents, continue to cheer me on, support me, and stand by my side.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dino_oriental/

Image Credits
Dongho Kim