South Korea

South Korea

South Korea, which forms the southern half of the Korean Peninsula in East Asia, is surrounded by the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea. The majority of the population consists of Koreans. Ethnicity is homogeneous.

 

The first meeting of the lands of South Korea with Islam was through Arab and Persian Muslim travelers and traders in the 7th century. However, geographical and cultural distance made it difficult for Islam to spread in these lands. It is stated in Islamic historical sources that direct relations between the Korean people and Muslims were established between the 9th and 16th centuries.

 

The re-connection of the Korean peninsula with Islam in the recent period was through Turkish soldiers who went to the region during the Korean War, which took place between 1950-53. The solidarity and sacrifice shown by the Turkish soldiers to the Korean people aroused great interest in the people, and thousands of people became Muslims with the work carried out during and after the war. In the following years, the initiatives of South Asian and Arab countries, especially Malaysia, contributed to the development of Islam in the country.

 

The Korean Muslims Association, which was founded in 1955 by a handful of Muslims, turned into the Korean Muslims Federation in 1967 and became official, and the Seoul Mosque, which was built on the land allocated to the federation by the state, was opened for worship in 1976.

 

Since the 1970s, the strengthening of relations with South Korea and Muslim countries, especially Arab countries, has increased the interest and closeness to Islam in the country. On the other hand, the events of September 11 came to the fore as another factor that increased the interest in Islam in Korean society. After September 11, the number of Muslims immigrating to the country has also increased. It is estimated that more than 150 thousand Muslims live in the country today, of which 50 thousand are Koreans.

 

Currently, there are nearly 20 mosques and more than 60 masjids in the country. However, it is stated that these places of worship are insufficient to meet the needs of Muslims in the country. On the other hand, Muslims also face difficulties in matters such as religious education, cemetery services, and halal food. Although there are some solutions implemented for these issues, it cannot be said that these are permanent solutions.

 

The most important obstacle to the spread of Islam in the country is cultural distance. In Korean society, which has strong constants that direct social life, there are many problems that Koreans who want to become Muslims may encounter in social life due to the changes that will take place in their lives. On the other hand, reasons such as the inadequacy of preaching activities and the indifference of the Islamic geography on this issue explain the limited number of Muslims in the country despite its half-century history.