Itaewon: A journey from Red Light Area to a Muslim Neighborhood

My relationship with Itaewon is about a decade old – whether I lived near there (in Hannamdong) or moved far away – I had to go there. I don’t remember that in the past 10 years, there was a month when I was not able to visit this neighborhood. 

It was in 2008 that I moved from Yongsan to Bundang and had to think twice to go to Itaewon – but my link with it stayed strong. Itaewon had the mosque, the halal grocery stores, embassies and a diverse mix of restaurants. This place was constantly changing but the changes were too swift for me, maybe I was based there, hence I could NOT see as much activity or government attention that this place actually required. I have to say that Itaewon-ro - a mile long, main street, starting at the tip of Yongsan base and ending at the Hangangjin Station - was overhauled and beautified to what it was…

If we look back, about 10 years ago or even further, at the time of Korea’s liberation from Japan – this place was somehow considered as the traditional center of prostitution. I still remember, my first day in Seoul, I was told NOT TO TAKE the street that has the Bokwang-dong Primary School and goes up towards the mosque - starting from the Itaewon Fire Station. To go to my place I had to take a really long road instead of having have a short-cut - passing through bars, pubs, night clubs, gay bars, and what not which is not confined to the infamous "Hooker Hill" - actually it was a hookers urban ghetto. All one could see was brothels, bars and drunken men and women. It was not until the mid 2000s that the Korean government took stern action against prostitution. Though, the situation and the locale is NOT as ugly as it used to be on ground zero, still today, all sort of strange stuff is going on in the back alleys of Itaewon-ro. For example, in my desperate search for a house a couple of weeks ago - a building located 5 minutes away from the mosque was raided by police - they were looking for some drug dealer - voilà!

During 1970s, when Korea was very active in the construction boom of the Middle East – the governments there demanded General Park’s government to allocate land for a mosque for Muslims living in Seoul. It took a couple of years but finally, General Park, Chung Hee’s government chose this land– right in the center of the Red Light Area of Seoul. In the last decade, the way Itaewon has evolved and has become the center of tourism is hard to believe. There are many factors to it which I will highlight in some other post but one of my most interesting of observation is: nobody wanted to go there but somehow ended up there...reason: well, for being a religious center for some to being a place and space where they were not stared at and where they had a feeling of not being a "waygookin or a foreigner" anymore. For me - Itaewon was like any other neighborhood since I was a foreigner and cared less for how the historical narrative or political and social patterns had shaped it. Once I was with my Korean friends – this was a forbidden place, which they despised and would prefer to go elsewhere. The good news is that now, I can see many Koreans comfortably roaming around, shopping, dinning, enjoying the internalization this place has gone through plus the facelift it has got recently -  which for me is a good vibe but surely is hard to believe, still.

Itaewon of today has much evolved due the Yongsan Base and the migrant workers in the past few decades. UN forces also stationed here and so were the foreign embassies and the diplomats and its staff.

So this was Itaewon’s journey from being a Red Light Area to a Muslim neighborhood.

Personally, I would like to see that our very active mayor of Seoul –  take immediate action with respect to the cleanliness of Itaewon’s dark and narrow streets...the area - which doesn't make Itaewon-ro. The place is filthy and the trash is not collected for days. Though we all know that the foreign population size has swelled there in recent years but it is being completely ignored for God knows why? So what hasn’t changed yet for me in Itaewon is the neighborhood surrounding the mosque - it simply sucks. The narrow alleys and old houses and building are still messed up, trash is all over the place and it smells - it is about time to take immediate action - and that is my appeal.

Again, the good news is: during my absence for about a year,  many new shops and restaurants have opened all around. Particularly, the street on which we have the mosque has improved much – there is a place that is selling abayas and hijabs, another has prayer mats and lotay. A specialized wholesale store for shisha is also very close to the mosque, some really fantastic Travel agencies have opened there. Bakeries with Middle Eastern and Turkish origin are there. Almost all the owners are Muslims. Some of the shops are run by women too. I also noticed 2 Islamic Information Centers on the Mosque Street and then a library cum Islamic Book Store. A second hand store, a few café, a souvenir shop hailing from Turkey and Syria is an interesting addition. I saw two huge stores  specializing in halal stuff and spices called: National Food Stores selling the brand “National"  from Pakistan. I like their masalay – they are tasty. They have a huge supply of everything South Asian. In case you are a vegetarian – stop by, go in and dig in! Several stores/restos have assortments for the vegetarians who are still struggling in Seoul on how to survive. You can have dals, bhujias, rotis and much much more.

I was very happy to see “Siti Sarah” – a restaurant specializing in Malayu food. It is actually Indonesian but they serve some interesting stuff.

My favorite place is a small resto hailing from Lahore with its owner and chef  Mr. Ameer – who was a chef of Mughal Restaurant (behind Hamilton Hotel) for over 20 years. He has just opened up this modest eatry for a little over a year called “Pak - India Restaurant”. He offers the BEST FOOD - Pakistani style – I’ve ever tasted in Korea or outside Pakistan. DO NOT miss him….he is a gifted man when it comes to cooking  – I love everything that he makes – Mashallah!

So, I think that where some nook and corners need attention in Itaewon – a lot has become better on self-help basis by the foreign/business community. It is an interesting place to say the least!

Ramadan ( Month of Fasting) in Korea

Iftar at a Mosque

Ramadan is just around the corner and hence, a post.

Principles of Ramadan across the countries, cultures and families are the same: time for inner reflection, devotion to God, self-control and cleansing of body and mind however, the celebrations varies from place to place and people to people.

Muslims fast (do NOT eat from dawn to dusk) during Ramadan. Young and old, men and women everybody wants to fast but then there are exceptions to the rule for those who shouldn't be fasting. It is observed at a national level in Pakistan and culturally, there is a prohibition of eating in public, even if one doesn't fast for whatever reasons. Rules are NOT as strict as is the Middle East: nobody's sent to jail or heads are shaved, though.

In Islam, religion is not limited to the private life but instead, it is often exhibited publicly through social obligations and rights. Over the years, we have really twisted a few things while practicing this idea but I don't want to rant about it now.

I think my best Ramadan was when I was a kid while living in Pakistan. A Ramadan day used to start with sirens for Sheri ( also called Suhoor) and the fast used to start with the Fajar Azzan  (also called Adhan) at dawn and ends with Magrib Azzan at dusk. There was always a lot of excitement in just waking up at Suhoor (also called Sehri) and I guess waiting was the essence of it all.

A lot of different varieties of mouth watering food was prepared that we only used to get in Ramadan and the taste always seemed enhanced, magically. It was a full blown family reunion thing, first ever fast was celebrated as a party for anyone turning 12 years old or sometimes even  much younger, reciting of Quran every morning and afternoon, Tarveeh (Tarawhee), and  of course, endless shopping to celebrate Eid (Eidul Fitr or Idul Fitri) - which follows Ramadan were some of the initials. On the last day of Ramadan, we, the girls,  used to have Mehndi/ Henna. I still remember, we all used to go out in the lawns and used to try our luck to track the new moon for Shawwal to celebrate Eid and to say adios to Ramadan but then with time, TV took over the tradition of moon sighting and people started to wait in  front of TVs to hear if the moon is sighted or not.  Dang :-(

Anyhow, new clothes, shoes, sweets, gifts, money given to kids by the elders in the family, sharing life with the less fortunate and making sure to give Fitra (charity) was very important for ever household irrespective of their economic standings. Over all, we as Muslims are obliged to give charity, repent sins, make an effort to do good deeds, read Quran and act on it as well, pray, and offer iftar (breaking of the fast) to those who fast are some of the basics of Ramadan.

I still remember that neighbors used to share their Iftari (special  food prepared to break fast) with others living in the same street or invite guests on Thursdays and  Fridays. Extra food was also prepared to share with those who fasted and those who could not afford it. Special Iftari was prepared to send to mosques where a lot of people used to gather to break fast. Markets and bazaars used to bustle with people. It was beautiful times and Pakistan was also a wonderful place to live unlike now.

Then what happened? Actually,  Globalization hit us as an epidemic and people started moving to other countries more often than not. Families broke down and dispersed. We also moved out and then experienced an entirely different Ramadan from country to country where we got to live. I will specifically talk of my Ramadan experience in Seoul, South Korea since I've spent 10 Ramadans here, seriously!

One thing is that Ramadan is NOT a public affair anymore. It is an individual/private affair. I still remember that I was taking an exam on Eid day (Eid has the same importance as Chuseok or Christmas for some). It was  a strange feeling. Unlike Pakistan, no short working hours, no Azzans (Adhan) to be heard, not much celebration to see at a mass scale but the good news is: if you want to feel/experience Ramadan then stop by Seoul Central Mosque in Itaewon. The Itaewon's mosque neighborhood has an air  of festivity and of the holy month. Fridays are very special there but almost every day of Ramadan is good. Seoul Central Mosque offers Sahoor, Iftar and Taraveeh. Many embassies as well as Muslim businessmen and others contribute to keep the traditions going. Seoul Mosque offers separate services for women and men . Itaewon's Muslim restaurants from Pakistan, Turkey, Bangladesh and the Middle East also offer free Iftar. Sometimes, Embassies also offer Iftar for it's nationals. Uzbek, Malaysian and Indonesian embassies are amongst them.

At a personal level, local people are quite curious about Ramadan and wants to know more. For many, it is their first time to actually meet somebody fasting and they are quite concerned about it in a good way. Many of your friends or colleagues would ask you all sort of questions so be prepared. I was surprised when friends prepared special food for me despite the fact that they were NOT Muslims and they told me that Eid is a national holiday in the Philippines. Philippines: you rock! A few Koreans wondered why we do NOT fast the year round? 

 I know that Ramadan at home and homeland is an entirely different story however, there are many ways in which you can enjoy it while still away from home. Invite friends from other Muslim countries to join you. You can offer a place to invite others fasting in your neighborhood to gather together for Salat (Namaz), preparing food together for Iftar and organize your Taraveeh in case you live far away from Itaewon. Even if you are living closeby it is NOT necessary that you'd be able to make it to Itaewon. Try to be innovative and use your skills and follow the old school of celebrating Ramadan, meaning spirit of sharing and giving!

Wish you a happy and gracious Ramadan.


To dig further:

Namaz or Salat Times (also:Ramadan/Ramazan Schedule) for the month of Ramadan, 2012 in Seoul, Korea: click HERE

How to get to Itaewon Central Mosque: click HERE

List of Mosques in South Korea: click HERE

How to get to Daegu Mosque/Islamic Center: click HERE and scroll down to comments.

How to get to Daejeon Mosque and Islamic Center: click HERE

Blog posts on Ramadan in Korea by an Indonesian is here and a Malaysian is here. Very interesting writeups.

MosqueKBS documentary on "Muslims in Korea" : HERE and Arirang's Islam in Korea HERE (Interview with the Imam of Jeonju Mosque).

A YOU TUBER has uploaded a very nice video  HERE on Seoul Central Mosque, its governing body and the neighborhood per se.

10 Years in Seoul: Looking Forward, Looking Back…

10 years ago, in May of 2002, I was super busy in packing my suitcases - nervously looking at heaps of stuff and puzzled what things to take along and what to leave on my move from Islamabad to Seoul. I had no idea what to expect and what awaits us as a family in Korea. Near end of a decade is almost here in a few days for me and yes, Korea has changed me forever that I could never have imagined.

The fact is that Korea was never on my radar of ‘to-visit-x-countries’ list but once I got here – Seoul has never ceased to amaze me. I had no idea, a decade ago, I would be witnessing the historic FIFA World Cup (of 2002) – Live or I would be celebrating Korea’s advance into the semi finals and the celebrations afterwards on the streets of Seoul or I would be doing my graduate and post graduate studies here or I would be changing my major to Korean Studies, or would be desperate to learn Korean language to at least survive Korea armed with the simple vocab such as: hello (Annyong Haseyo), how much? (Ul-ma-aeiyo?), how are you? (Chal jinay-say-yo), yes (Nay) , no (Anniyo), why (way), quickly/ hurry-up (Palli-pulli) etcetra. I didn't know any of the many people I now know in Seoul more than I have known in my hometown. My gut feeling on reaching Seoul was sort of “I’m lovin it”.

I really had no idea that the transformations will be so swift and will lead to the reverse cultural shock in my own country. Nobody can  prepare us to deal with this shock – to integrate back into the culture of your home country after living abroad. At times, this process seems much harder than assimilating into Korean culture or any foreign culture. That’s it.

Over the years, some of the Korean customs that have become my second nature include the extensive use of chopsticks for both eating and cooking. I think that they are better than forks/spoons and are quite handy.

To this I will add the ‘no-shoes-indoors’ policy which I endorse strongly. The norm in Korea is that you should take off your shoes and put on one of the many pairs of slippers stored by the door in the shoe cabinet available in every single house. There is an additional set of slippers for bathroom too. Now when I see somebody roaming around the house in their shoes that they wear outside – it’s quite disgusting.

Apart from shoe policy, one thing that I do extensively is bowing even while saying hello or Salam to people.

Living in Seoul was not just a physical journey for me – it is a cultural, spiritual, emotional and also an academic journey. Just have to say that no two people will ever have the same experiences or the exact same conclusions. It is something up close and personal but nevertheless, it gives all of us an opportunity to grow.

Jhumpa Lahiri said it so wisely that: "...Still, there are times I am bewildered by each mile I have traveled, each meal I have eaten, each person I have known, each room in which I have slept. As ordinary as it all appears, there are times when it is beyond my imagination."

Ramadan Mubarak from Seoul!

Ramadan (the month of fasting for muslims) has just begun today. Fasting as one of the important pillars of Islam, consists of abstaining from food and drink from dawn (day break) to dusk (sunset). It is a time for inner reflection, devotion to God, and self-control. Ramadan is also a time of intensive worship, reading of the Qur'an, giving charity, purifying one's behavior, and doing good deeds. One of the important goals of Ramadan is to highlight the life of the poor- who have nothing to eat & hence, make us understand what one goes through. Alms and charity is given in this month.

From sighting of moon of Ramadan to that of Eid Al Fitr - every day is memorable. Quran was revealed in the month of Ramadan which accroding to the Islamic lunar calender is the  9th. month. Special prayers, extensive reading of Quran, special food for iftar (breaking fast) is the main highlight of Ramadan. Lailatul Qadar and the last 10 days of Ramadan are of utmost importance and overall, various cultural aspects are associated with Ramadan - makes it a special month for all muslims.

When it is Ramadan, it brings back unforgettable memories of the previous years, of people (especially those who are not with us anymore), gatherings of family and friends, celebrations, shopping, excitement...

My best Ramadan were the ones when I was very young and our whole family was still living under the same roof....several factor have thrown us continents apart...this hurts the most and of course, make us feel nostalgic of those good, old days.

Central mosaque (masjid) of Seoul has a modest iftar arranged for all those who want to break their fast and pray - usually coming from far flung areas of Korea and at times visitors from other foreign countries. Some restaurants also offer free iftar to its customers here in Seoul in Itaewon area.

The salat /namaz times for Seoul (South Korea) during August (Ramadan) can be found here.

Wish everyone a gracious and joyous Ramadan!

Photo credit for pic. below@Raja Islam

Seoul Central Mosque (이슬람교 성원)

I took this photo from a roof of a house near the Seoul mosque

Seoul Central Mosque established under the Presidential Decree (on May 1969)- during General Park Chung-hee's era - is the 'only' mosque in Seoul, a city of about 12 million people and the highest number of foreign residents in Korea.

 This mosque first opened its doors back on May 5, 1976 in the area called Hannam-2-dong, close to the main Itaewon street in Yongsan-gu and has been attracting a crowd of close to a 1000 worshippers from around the world for the Jumma Prayers (scheduled at 1 a.m ) every Friday. It covers an area of 5000 square meters and has a capacity to accomodate 1500 people. On EID, the space is overwhelmed and worshippers are seen praying outside on the roads using their prayer mats - all around the mosque to be a part of EID congregation.

These are some of the images of the Seoul Central Mosque from a street going up towards Hyat - a hyper wired street but for great photos visit thr blogger PENNPENN (leeesann)  here.


It has 3 floors in general and has a seperate facility for women to pray at the mosque on its 3rd. floor. Saudi Arabia's generous donation of about 3.5 billion won in 1991 helped open a madrasa for the muslim children to learn about Islamic culture, Arabic, Quran and English. I also taught there for about a year and was delighted to see Korean children's interest to learn the basics of Islam and their emphasis on learning Arabic. Children from countries like, Egypt, Libya, Syria, Sudan, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Turkey and Indonesia are among the few countries where these students have come from.

Seoul Masjid has a modest Islamic Cultral and Research Center.



Among the local community, it is a sort of a toursit site because many people want to see the arcitecture. It is located beautifully between the Namsan and the Han River.

'Click on the map for an enlarged image'

More information on Islam, the Mosque and its activities can be found at 'Korea Muslim Federation's' website.

Address:732-21 Hannam 2 Dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Telephone:82+ 2+ 793-6908
Website: http://www.koreaislam.org

Mosque by subway: Get off at Itaewon Station, Line No.6. Take Exit:3 and go straight for 3 min. From the crossing near Sultan Kebab/Dunkin Donuts take a right turn and go further straight for 5 min. Again turn left in a street with a school's wall on one side. You can see the mosque.

Note
A very comprehensive post by the blogger "Old Knicks man" on: how many mosques do we have in Korea (한국에는 이슬람교 성원이몆개나 있을까요)? Read Here.

Itaewon-Seoul

Seoul Mosque in Itaewon: Entrance ( pictures by D.H in 2008)

Street where the mosque is located... (pic: 2008)

Towards the prayer halls!

ITAEWON: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA

Behind the pole is the mosque of Seoul (Itaewon)

Itaewon is famous for many things since the Late Choson period. Over the years, it has been evolving into something that we can call -the melting pot of cultures in greater Seoul region. Of course the leading city is Ansan in Gyeonggido when it come to its ethnic diversity.

Itaewon, Bokwangdong and Hannam crossing lines in this picture from the window seat. It is my old neighborhood too.

This place has over 30 embassies and diplomatic community prefers to reside here and they are in abundance. Embassies of Pakistan, Germany, Egypt, Malaysia, India, Italy are all at a walking distance from each other. English is frequently used hence, getting around is not a problem.

Information guides @ your service

In case you need any information about anything, walking guides from KNTO are at your service, they speak Japanese, Chinese and English fluently.

There is an information desk inside the Itaewon subway station - where you can get brocheurs etc besides information. There is a full fledged Itaewon-Hannam Global Village Center - for all sorts of activities, information and community work - near Itaewon Hotel. Free Internet services, Korean classes for kids and adults, cultural programs and much more is offered here!

Socks at a make-shift store

Here socks sell like hot cakes - Korea is a leading exporter of high quality socks in all the different styles, shapes, forms and colors. It is a whole project to do a research on...:D In Korean culture people wear socks pretty much all the time - a favourite in all weathers and all the times - inside the home, with flip flops, with sleepers, while going to bed and the list goes on.

Money Exchange

This specific money changer- right next to a bus stop on the street going down to Chunghwa Apartments is one of the oldest. The (odd )couple (possible owners) at this money exchange are good at ripping people off and with the passage of time they have become rude.

Sisterhood

Fast food chains, ethnic food and halal food restaurants are in plenty. My favourite 'Foreign Food Store' is a heaven for grocery shopping is also here - they have their sister restaurant named Foreign Food Restaurant (Halal) close by-food is good and so is the interior and the service.

청화 (Chunghwa Apt Map): An old neighborhood!

Antiques shops are in plenty but it can NOT beat Dapshimni which is the "real" antique hub.

119 Rescue Center/Famous as Fire StationThis street will take you to the Seoul Mosque/ Islamic Center, the Foreign Food Store - one has to take exit 3 of the Itaewon Station to get there.

This place is turning into a small Islamic community of Seoul. We have a Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz madrassa here as well. Islamic books store, halal bakeries, fabric shops, used cell phone shops, travel agencies with a monopoly of merchants from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Turkey and Bangladesh can be witnessed at this place. By the way, this same street can also take you to the 'red light area' which is found en route to the mosque, many gay bars are located in the vicinity. This was the only choice given to the foreign governments to build a mosque during general Parks' era - which took years of diplomacy.

Extension project underway of the already huge 'International School of Korea'.

Lake behind my place trying to defreeze ~ it just snowed for 15 minutes again in a partly cloudy day!

Itaewon is 'the place' if you want to try your regional cuisines at a comparatively cheaper price than anywhere in Seoul. A part of its street towards Hangangjin is called the 'Japanese Street'.

Restaurants from Morocco, Egypt, Jordon and Dubai are all located on the main street. You can also find Italian, Irish, French and German restaurants easily. Places specializing in food from Bulgaria and Serbia to Turkey and Iran are located in this small neighborhood.

Korean Activities in Pakistan in the Last Six Months

photo credits@ vision care

I have tried to give an overview of the various activities in bits and pieces by the Korean government, its community and the interest groups based in Pakistan. It has not been as impressive as it should be but at least, the last six months have seen more activities by the Korea Embassy than ever before. It seems that we are moving in the right direction - slowly but surely!

The New Ambassador
Choong-Joo Choi, was appointed as the ambassador of the Republic of Korea in Pakistan in August 2010. Before coming to Pakistan, he worked as the special advisor to the Governor of Gyeonggi Province on Foreign Relations. Gyeonggi has the largest share of foreign population in Korea. He has also served as an Adjunct Professor at the Division of International Studies (DIS) at Korea University.

Ambassador Choi graduated from the Department of Economics at Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea in 1977. The same year he passed the civil service exam and joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He also studied at the Johns Hopkins University.

In the past six months, he has been very busy and active in furthering the relations between Korea and Pakistan. He has actively participated in looking for donors from Korea to help Pakistan out with flood relief activities.

Korea’s Donation for the Flood Victims
So far, the Government of Korean and the Korean business community have donated generously around $ 4.5 million in the form of goods and cash as an emergency humanitarian assistance for flood victims in Pakistan. The donation comprised of $ 2.1 million from the Government of Korea, their private sector donated $1.3 million, and Korean companies in Pakistan chipped in $1.1 million.

Free Medical Services by the Korean Doctors (September 19-26, 2010)
Vision Care Service (VCS) is the organization for ophthalmic surgery & medical treatment in Korea. This NGO was founded in 2002 and its aim is to treat people with visual impairment and to restore their sight regardless of their nationality, sex, or religion. This Eye Camp which was sponsored by Samsung Electronics treated around 570 patients and conducted 70 operations. This rather small but efficient team included 11 people (3 doctors, 2 nurses, 5 volunteers, 1 staff). They also donated money for the flood affectees in Pakistan.

Another recent activity was carried in the first week of Feruary, when a team of Korean doctors examined patients suffering from eye, teeth, stomach, skin, joint aches and other diseases and distributed free medicines near Quetta.

National Taekwondo Championships
The Seventh Korean Ambassador National Taekwondo Championships as the name shows were also sponsored by the Korean Embassy which is a modest yet an important effort by the Embassy of Korea who have not been this active before.

Debate Contest at a University
This is one of the venues where Pakistan and Korea need a solid relationship. More and more exchanges between Pakistani and Korean universities is the need of the hour. Pakistan has some of the best brains and Korea has some of the best facilities, universities and reserach centers. Both the countries can benefit from this union. At the moment Pakistan and Korea have signed an MOU for an exchange of students and scholars in the field of science and technology. I hope that the two countries open the door for arts, music, humanities and social sciences as well. Currently, National University of Modern Languages (NUML) is the only educational institution in Pakistan where we have Korean Language classes at a governmental scale. This area of studies should be fully explored in collaboration with other universities in Pakistan with their Korean counterparts. Anyhow, Korea sponsers debate contests at NUML every year- which is a good effort.

I hope that Korea and Pakistan work closer on their bilateral relations in the field of economic, trade, education and human resource development. Both the countries have a lot to learn from each other.


NOTE:Korean Diplomatic Mission can be reached at the address below
Embassy of the Republic of Korea (Pakistan)
Block 13 St. 29 Diplomatic Enclave II, G-5/4
Islamabad, Pakistan
Tel: 92-51-227-9380, Fax: 92-51-227-9391
Email: pakistan@mofat.go.kr

Itaewon Islamic Street in Seoul

A consumer shops for fabrics at Step-In, a clothing and fabric shop on Itaewon Islamic Street.
Salam Bakery, a small store on the left side of the road leading toward the Seoul Central Masjid in the Yongsan District, was crowded with customers last Thursday afternoon.

Among those waiting were two Muslim men from Sudan in line to purchase bread and a Korean couple with curious eyes who were gazing at the baklava, bite-sized cakes made with nuts and honey.

“Non-Muslims interested in ethnic food also come to my shop,” said Jinee Jung, who runs the bakery specializing in Syrian-style cakes. “Still, the Muslims living on this street or those who pass through this street to pray at the mosque are my major customers. My bakery sells them halal confectionaries, which Muslims can buy without fear of violating Islamic law.”

“Halal” is an Arabic term that means “permissible” under Islamic law and includes objects or actions. The rules about food are probably the most familiar to non-Muslims.

Among these, the most rigorous rules for food are applied to meat. Halal meat excludes pork and many other sorts of meat and, in addition, requires that rigorous procedures for slaughter be followed, such as a quick killing to minimize the animal’s suffering.

To make the bakery’s halal cakes, animal oil and other animal ingredients are avoided or used sparsely in the bakery’s recipes.

“This is the busiest season for us,” Jung said. “During Ramadan, Muslims refrain from eating and drinking from dawn until dusk. They tend to eat more pastries and sweets at night than on ordinary days so I will keep the shop open for 24 hours a day during Ramadan, although I will let my chef, who is from Damascus in Syria, rest during the day because he cannot eat or drink during that time.”

Ramadan began on Saturday and continues for about a month.

Across the road from the Salam Bakery stands Salam.com, an electronics store that deals in various electronics goods, including a cell phone with an alarm set to ring for daily prayers.

There are also several travel agencies here, with signs in Korean and Arabic, and sometimes in English.

Further along the street there is a clothing and fabric shop called Step-In, whose Afghan owner welcomes anyone who steps into the store. In front of the store, mannequin heads wearing hijab, or head coverings, and pretty shoes are displayed.


A customer browses through the books at the Islamic Book Center. Lower right: Workers at Salam Bakery put out Syrian and Turkish cakes.By Jeon Min-kyu
One of several grocery stores on the street has a sign that says “We now have halal duck.”

This Islamic world in central Seoul is commonly called Itaewon Islamic street. The street started with a few grocery stores and restaurants selling halal food near the Seoul Central Masjid, the mosque established there in 1976.

Because of the halal food regulations, eating is not an easy job for Muslims in Korea, where the percentage of the Muslim population is not very large.

“I’m nearly becoming a vegetarian, living here,” sighed Shiraz Subeh, an Ewha Womans University student from Palestine. She had come to the Seoul Central Masjid for her daily prayers, which is one of her obligations as a Muslim. The mosque has a separate area where women can pray.

The shops on Itaewon Islamic Street have met the nutritional needs of many Muslims in Korea. There is a butcher selling halal meat next to the entrance of the masjid, as well as several grocery stores and restaurants in the neighborhood.

“We can do our five daily prayers either at the masjid or at home, but I come here from time to time to pray, to meet friends and to shop in the neighboring stores,” Subeh said.

But there is much more here than food.



Subeh and her friend from Kyrgyzstan, Nazik Sultanbekova, who is also studying at Ewha, dropped by the Islamic Book Center to purchase a copy of the Koran in Spanish for a Spanish-speaking friend.

Muneer Ahmad, the bookstore’s chief executive officer, said he opened the store three years ago to increase awareness about Islam among Koreans and the larger foreign population.

“Many people may misunderstand, but Islam emphasizes open-mindedness, tolerance and peace, and many Muslims are open-minded,” he said. “I am from a Muslim family in Kashmir, India, but I have not become a Muslim just because my parents are Muslim. I read the scriptures of various religions and then I decided to be a Muslim.

“I recommend that people do the same to become familiar with the similarities and differences between different religions and to gain a true understanding of them.”

The bookstore has Korean and English translations of the Koran and other Islamic books. For English-speakers interested in studying Arabic there are books written in both English and Arabic.

There are many things to learn on this street. Most of the Muslims here are kind and eager to tell people who ask about Islam. Ahmed, the bookstore owner, and Jang Sun-kyung, who were at the mosque to pray, were two such hospitable folks. Jang, the former head of the female devotees’ group at the masjid, converted to Islam after spending 20 years exploring other religions. Her story is rather unique because, unlike many other Korean converts to Islam, Jang came to Islam without having traveled to the Middle East.

The number of Muslims in Korea is gradually increasing, because more Koreans have become interested in the religion and the culture. The number of workers arriving here from Islamic countries is also increasing. The Korea Muslim Federation, which has its headquarters in the masjid, estimates there are about 35,000 Korean nationals who are Muslim, in addition to the many other Muslims among the foreign population.

Credits: This article was published in JoongAng Daily.