Seoul Central Mosque located at Hannamdong [Courtesy of Korea Muslim Foundation]
Halal food was designed Thursday as one of South Korea's new growth engines along with companion animals and virtual reality, at an economic meeting chaired by President Park Geun-hye.
At the meeting, policymakers agreed to increase certified halal foods and restaurants to attract more Muslim tourists from the Middle East and Southeast Asian nations.
Halal food is free of ingredients that are not permissible under Islamic law. In South Korea, only 12 restaurants are officially certified by the Korea Muslim Federation, including eight in Seoul.
In recent years, more Muslims have visited South Korea thanks to the growing popularity of Korean pop culture "Hallyu". The number of Muslim tourists coming to South Korea rose from 540,000 in 2012 to 750,000 in 2014. Government officials estimate the number may reach 800,000 this year.
Under a state project, an official recipe book will be published to expand halal menus in tourists destinations and hospitals while traditional Korean chicken soup and barbecue will get halal certifications for exports to Islamic countries. Major airports, hotels and tourism attractions will have prayer rooms for Muslim tourists.
Aju News Lim Chang-won = cwlim34@ajunews.com
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
