Over the past ten years, South Korea has witnessed a rise in the number of people embracing Islam.
“After 9/11, there was an increase in the number of Koreans who wanted to know about the Islamic culture. For instance, last October there were about 1,200 Koreans who visited Seoul’s Central Mosque,” says Korea Muslim Federation’s Abdul Rahman, who converted to Islam in 1981.
Over the past decade, a Muslim community has emerged in the Itaewon district next to the Seoul Central Mosque.
The community also has a school which currently has some 75 students through the sixth grade, and teaches four languages. The school plans on expanding its classes to higher education.
Besides a rise in the number of Koreans converting to Islam, the growing number of Muslim migrant workers is also contributing to an increase in the Muslim population.
There are currently some 200,000 Muslims in South Korea.