Muslims in South Korea also undergo fasting starting not much different from Muslims in Indonesia. Just like in Indonesia, although there are not as many Muslims in South Korea as in Indonesia, they also have their own customs and culture.
Here are some customs and cultures during the month of Ramadan in South Korea.
Fasting Duration
Muslims in South Korea have the Korea Muslim Federation (KMF) which publishes prayer times and announces the start date of the month of Ramadan.
Judging from the KMF website last Monday (4/4), the hours or duration of fasting in South Korea are not that different from Indonesia. This year, the month of Ramadan in South Korea occurs at the turn of winter to spring.
The Fajr schedule on the first day of Ramadan falls at 4 a.m. after 48 minutes, then breaks at around 7 p.m. However, it is getting early towards the end of Ramadan, namely on Saturday (30/4), the Fajr schedule starts at 4 am.
Therefore, this year the fasting time in South Korea is around 14 hours. This is because South Korea is a country with four seasons so it has quite a different time difference.
Worship place
South Korea itself already has enough places of worship. The best known is probably the Seoul Central Mosque which is located in Seoul. But in fact, there are also Busan Mosque, Ansan Mosque, Faizan E-Madina Incheon Mosque, Jeonju Mosque (Abu Bakar Seddiq Mosque), Al Huda Gumi Mosque, Rahman Jeju Mosque, Incheon Islamic Center, Al Mujahidin Mosque Incheon, and many more.
These mosques and Islamic Centers usually hold special events during the month of Ramadan. Such as breaking fast, conducting recitations, sharing takjil iftar, and other special studies. Muslims in South Korea usually visit these mosques during the month of Ramadan.
Iftar Tradition
During the month of Ramadan, before the pandemic that spread throughout the world. The Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs often hosts dinners, to break the fast together every year with prominent diplomats and politicians from all Muslim countries.
However, unfortunately, this activity had to undergo changes due to strict regulations in dealing with the spread of COVID-19.
Where to Buy Food for Iftar or Suhoor
When looking for an iftar or sahur menu, you don't always have to cook at home, you know. In every mosque in South Korea, they often provide takjil for Muslims who come. Even in South Korea, there are now many halal restaurants available.
For example, Eid Restaurant located in the Itaewon area, Seoul. This halal restaurant presents Korean specialties such as bibimbap and kimchi, but with halal ingredients and cooking methods according to Islamic rules.
Then there is Samarkand, a halal restaurant located in Incheon. This restaurant provides a variety of Uzbek specialties such as lamb satay, beef satay with shashlik seasoning, traditional lepyoshka bread, samsa, and many others for you to choose from.
In addition to these two restaurants, there are also restaurants and a special market for halal ingredients around the Seoul Central Mosque.