Free consultation in English with Haesol himself · KR/JP OK · replies within 48 hours
Eagle & Red Maple — original color design on hanji paper
Onsil reinterprets Korean traditional painting — minhwa, sa-ui, and munin-hwa — as fine art tattoo. Each work is a quiet conversation between the subject's classical symbolism and the canvas of skin.
Our atelier is based in Konkuk-dae, near Seongsu-dong, Seoul. We work by appointment only, with each tattoo designed individually around the wearer.
Books open monthly. International clients are welcome — English consultations are available.
Founder · Principal Artist
The Artist
Trained in Korean traditional painting, Haesol works at the intersection of minhwa iconography and contemporary tattoo art. Rooted in minhwa, his work now draws on Korean traditional and East Asian painting broadly, reinterpreted as tattoo.
Large-scale Korean traditional (minhwa) work is welcome too — full sleeves, back pieces and other multi-session projects, each composed individually around the wearer's body.
Small pieces · sister brand Small traditional minhwa motifs are welcome at Onsil. Haesol also runs Mini Ink Seoul (haesoltattoo.com) as a casual sub-brand for minimalist line work and Japanese-language enquiries.
As featured in The Korea Herald · iNKPPL
Minhwa is a Korean folk painting tradition — works made by anonymous artisans for ordinary households, carrying wishes for longevity, fortune, and protection. Onsil reinterprets minhwa, alongside sa-ui and munin-hwa, as fine art tattoo. When the same iconography lives on skin, the symbol becomes literally inseparable from the wearer.
Onsil works by appointment only from a shared atelier in the Seongsu–Konkuk creative area — Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, a short distance from Seongsu-dong in Seongdong-gu. The two neighbourhoods share one creative-area identity, so Onsil serves clients searching across Konkuk-dae and Seongsu. There is no walk-in storefront; the precise address is shared with confirmed clients.
Books open monthly and every commission begins with a consultation. Submit a request through the booking page; Onsil replies in English, Korean or Japanese within 48 hours. Each tattoo is designed individually around the wearer — no flash, no walk-ins. International clients are welcome and should book 4-6 weeks ahead to align with travel dates.
Haesol Choi (he/him) is the founder and principal artist of Onsil — a Seoul-based tattoo artist working at the intersection of Korean traditional painting and contemporary tattoo art. He studied minhwa, sa-ui, and munin-hwa formally before translating their iconography onto skin; rooted in minhwa, his practice now reaches across Korean traditional and East Asian painting, reinterpreted as tattoo.
In their words
Korean traditional and minhwa work, drawn for one person at a time. Share your idea, placement and timing — consultations are free.
