Exploring “Korean Islam” in a Climate of Exclusion and Islamophobia

This article aims to explore the paradox between the way Korean society is attempting to gain the attention of Muslim travelers and halal markets, whilst simultaneously failing to nurture “Korean Islam” as Korean Muslims are struggling to establish themselves as one of the country’s unique, indigenous religious minority communities. This situation is partly attributed to Islamophobic perceptions along with simple ignorance of Korea’s relationship with Islam and Muslims, which helps to build a popular position that Islam is a foreign religion, practiced by foreign people, contributing to the barriers faced by Korean Muslims in mainstream society. This paper aims to add value to the existing literature on Islamic Studies, Korean Studies and the Anthropology of Islam by offering a perspective grounded in Korean Muslim realities.