AhlulBayt News Agency: At 6:30 p.m. on the 26th, a grilled fish restaurant near Sinchon Station in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, was crowded with customers. More than 40 seats were occupied by Muslim tourists wearing hijabs. Pointing at menu photos with ease, they called out “This one!” to the staff. When dishes such as grilled mackerel, Spanish mackerel, and spicy stir-fried squid arrived, they exclaimed, “Terbaik (the best)!”
This restaurant was once popular mainly among university students. However, after gaining word-of-mouth fame as a “Halal-friendly restaurant” among Muslim tourists, foreign sales have accounted for 70% over the past two to three years. “Halal” in Arabic means “permitted,” referring to food allowed under Islamic law.
With the rise of K-pop and K-beauty trends attracting more Muslim tourists to Korea, their “culinary maps” are shifting. Muslims, who previously relied on kebabs or lamb dishes in areas like Itaewon, Seoul, are now actively seeking Korean restaurants that meet Halal standards.
According to the Korea Tourism Organization, Muslim tourist numbers rose from 360,000 in 2022 to 800,000 in 2023. Last year, 1.03 million visited, and as of October this year, 998,000 have already arrived, indicating Korea will surpass 1 million visitors for two consecutive years.
Yet, only about 15 restaurants nationwide have received Halal certification from the Korea Islamic Federation (KMF) Halal Committee. As a result, Muslim tourists share information about “Halal-friendly” restaurants through social media and food/travel apps. They visit and review eateries that avoid pork and alcohol or focus on seafood and vegetable-based menus, even if uncertified.
At 1 p.m. on the 26th, a Korean restaurant in Myeongdong, Jung-gu, Seoul, was bustling with Muslim tourists. Foreigners in hijabs filled the stairs and corridors. Families with infants in strollers were also present. They mainly ordered army stew and gimbap prepared without processed meat, following Halal methods. A sign on the wall read, “Prayer room available inside the restaurant.”
Restaurants in Myeongdong, Sinchon, and Bukchon—popular tourist areas—are gaining popularity by offering Muslim-friendly dishes such as kimchi fried rice without fermented seafood and army stew with soy meat. Shim Mo, 59, who runs a restaurant in Myeongdong, said, “We no longer use processed meat due to the rising number of Muslim tourists.”
Muslim visitors also frequent temple food restaurants. At 11:30 a.m. on the 26th, women in hijabs lined up at a temple food restaurant in Insadong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. The restaurant’s sign read “Vegan Restaurant.” They ordered dishes like soybean bulgogi wraps, shiitake rice rolls, and plum tangsuyu made with fried mushrooms instead of meat. Employee Song Tae-hyun, 30, said, “We also run cooking classes for Muslim customers interested in temple food recipes.”
Professor Jeong Lan-su of Hanyang University’s Tourism Department stated, “Muslim tourists’ consumption patterns are evolving from a passive phase of seeking familiar foreign foods to an active phase of exploring and consuming Korean cuisine within religious guidelines.”
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