Muslims

This sounds strange but there's a mosque in every major city in Korea. The one which most people probably know about is located in Itaewon, Seoul. Having gotten to know a few Muslims in Korea, I was shown some pamphlet with photos of the mosques. There is one near Inchon, and I think ones in Busan, Kwangju and Daegu. There are a few more but I'm not sure about their locations.

One Muslim told me it started during the Korean War when a number of Turkish came to fight. They got to know Koreans and converted some. I saw the number tof Korean Muslims somewhere but I can't remember. I think it's between 100,000 and 300,000.

There are so many Muslim countries represented among the foreigners in Korea. I've seen Turkish, Pakistanis, Malaysians, Indonesians and a few Afghans. So the total number of Muslims in Korea I ould estimate at 500,000.

Korean muslims must have a lifestytle which is completely different from other Koreans. Not consuming alchohol or pork must be hard because they are popular in Korea. Actually one Muslim friend told me about a Korean who either converted or was trying to, but he was unable to go without alcohol being a salaryman or fast during the month of Ramadan. Another muslim told me of another Korean who was unable or unwilling to fast. I believe that person converted but they may have been just becoming Muslim more slowly by adapting to the lifestyle like the first person I mentioned. Some women who convert also are unable or unwilling to wear the headscarf. I met a few Korean women who had converted but didn't wear the head cover.

There's a street in Itaewon I think should be called Muslim-Ro or Muslim Street. All the shops seemed to be owned by foreigners who are Muslim. There's at least one bakery which has Turkish delight, there are restaurants, shops and at least one travel agency. And there are bookstores with books on Islam. I saw a few Korean converts but most people on the street are foreign.