Interest in learning about Islam is growing in South Korea. Some young people in particular are drawn to Islam’s monotheism, its moral teaching and its way of life. Personal contact with Muslims, religious lessons at mosques and content on social media are also helping to build that interest.
Citing a Korea Times report, IQNA said that about 45,000 people born and raised in South Korea are thought to have embraced Islam, many of them in their twenties and thirties. There are, however, no reliable government figures on the number.
The report tells the story of a Korean Muslim in his thirties known by the pseudonym Yusuf, who embraced Islam in 2014. His interest grew after he met Muslim friends and saw their way of life up close. As he learned more about the faith, he decided to adopt it.
Many Korean converts find Islam’s teaching on the oneness of God, its clear religious principles and its moral guidance for daily life appealing. For them, these teachings have opened a chance to think afresh about life and values.
Religious lessons at Seoul Central Mosque
Koreans who want to learn about Islam regularly visit the Central Mosque in the Itaewon area of Seoul, the South Korean capital. There they can learn about Islamic belief, worship and way of life. Some recite the shahada and embrace Islam after taking religious lessons.
A Korean Muslim woman, Ariyam, said Islam’s teaching of respect for elders is especially meaningful to her. Because the value also matches traditional Korean culture, it was easier for her to explain her religious decision to her family.
According to the report, some young South Koreans are looking for a different philosophy of life outside conventional social customs and expectations. In learning about Islam, some of them have found a way to think anew about morality, inner peace and the meaning of life.
Growing visibility on social media
Despite common negative perceptions of Islam, getting to know Muslims directly has helped change many people’s views. Seeing Muslims’ conduct, religious practice and daily life up close has made some want to learn more about the faith.
Social media is also playing an important part. Some Korean Muslims make videos about their religious experience, their daily lives and Muslim culture, giving Korean and international viewers a window on Muslim life.
Ayana Jihye Moon, a Korean-born Muslim fashion figure, embraced Islam as a teenager. Her curiosity about the faith began as a child, when she learned about Islam during the Iraq war. She later went on to higher education and became known as a Korean Muslim fashion figure living in Indonesia.
YouTuber Daud Kim has also shown in his videos his experience of embracing Islam and different sides of life as a Muslim. Content from well-known figures like him is giving people with little prior knowledge of Islam a chance to learn about it.
Some Korean Muslim women are combining the hijab with the hanbok, the traditional Korean dress, creating a new kind of fashion that brings Islamic values and aspects of Korean culture together.
Finding a sense of belonging among Muslims
Several Korean converts said that after embracing Islam they found new relationships, mutual support and a sense of belonging in the Muslim community. Some faced negative reactions from people they knew, but the bonds they formed with Muslims gave them emotional support.
Ariyam said that when she first went to Seoul Central Mosque, she felt as if she had come home. Her experience suggests that, alongside belief, the warmth and brotherhood of the Muslim community can become important in new Muslims’ lives.
Islam’s history on the Korean peninsula
Islam is not new to South Korea. Muslim traders, migrants and international contacts have brought knowledge of Islam to the Korean peninsula at different times. During the Korean War in particular, the presence of Turkish Muslim soldiers helped introduce Islam to the country. Later, foreign workers, students and migrants widened the Muslim community further.
Reliable, up-to-date figures on how many South Koreans have embraced Islam, or on yearly numbers, are limited. But converts’ personal experiences, interest in religious lessons at mosques and Muslims’ active presence on social media are creating new chances to learn about Islam.
Islam’s monotheism, its moral way of life, the search for inner peace and warm ties with the Muslim community are among the reasons some people in South Korea are taking an interest in the faith. Their experiences are opening room for more discussion and mutual understanding about Islam in the country.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report