Places of Islam in Seoul – New experimentation in the post-colonial and globalizing Seoul (completed)

Doyoung SONG (Professor, Hanyang University, Korea)

One of the significant aspects of Seoul’s religious life is the introduction of new religions with the rapid development of migration and globalization. Islam is generally perceived as being totally unfamiliar in the cultural scene of Seoul, an important case in this context. As Muslim migrant workers become recognized as habitants of Seoul, the incorporation and configuration of Muslim culture in spatial and social dimensions become an important subject to study for urban cultural studies of today’s Seoul. 

For that reason, this research studies following subjects: (a) the spatial configuration of Muslims’ everyday life in Seoul; (b) adjustment strategies and the implication of religious space: Muslim migrant workers in Seoul; and (c) perceptions and communications in the face of Islam, among the religious communities of Seoul.