Former Idol Reveals The Truth About Filming In Fake Tattoos For Music Videos

Despite the divided perception of tattoos in Korean society, K-Pop idols are often spotted with fake tattoos in music videos. They can be seen in SISTAR‘s “Alone” and “I Like That”, which somehow managed to make them look even more feminine.

From BTS‘s “ON” to Jimin‘s iconic performance that nobody will ever forget, the fake tattoos bring out their fierceness. Even so, working with these temporary pieces of art can be super tricky. In a recent video, a former idol revealed how these tattoos are created and how difficult they can be to maintain.

In a gathering of idols from disbanded groups, former DMTN member Donglim looked back on their music video “E.R” from eight years ago.

Since all of the members had been covered in tattoos, he was asked for specifics about it. Because Aoora thought it had been henna, Donglim confirmed it was fake by saying, “It’s washable,” before explaining it further.

Although the tattoos weren’t real, they hadn’t been applied from a pre-printed sheet of paper and plastic like a temporary one found in packages. Donglim revealed, “The tattooist, he applied it like a real tattoo.”

Since an artist drew all of the tattoos by hand to make them look realistic and dramatic, it took a chunk of time to get it done, especially for an entire group. “Actually, before filming for one person, it would take two hours.” That meant it took at least ten hours for all five members.

As if ten hours didn’t sound like a long enough time, it actually took even longer than that. Donglim revealed a significant downside to those lovely temporary tattoos, “[They would] do it again if we sweat.”

Filming a music video or performing with a temporary tattoo isn’t as easy as it sounds. A few drops of sweat could ruin all the hard work an artist put it to draw it, instantly requiring a touch-up that takes even more energy.