Where can foreigners find religious communities in Korea — mosques, Orthodox churches, Catholic parishes, and so on?
I am from Uzbekistan and Muslim, and I am looking for a place to worship regularly with others of the same faith in Korea. Besides the Itaewon Central Mosque, are there other mosques or regular gatherings in other cities?
For other religions (Orthodox Christianity, Hinduism, foreigner Buddhist groups), how can I find their communities in Korea?
1 Answer
Beyond the Itaewon Central Mosque there are Muslim communities in more places than people expect. There are mosques or musallas (prayer rooms) in Busan, Gwangju, Anyang, Paju, and Ansan, and around university districts and industrial areas you will find prayer spaces run by Indonesian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi communities. Wongok-dong in Ansan in particular has many foreigners and is easy for finding various religious gatherings. You can locate them through the Korea Muslim Federation website or by searching mosque on Google Maps, and community events around times like Ramadan get shared there too. For Orthodox Christianity, the Saint Nicholas Cathedral in Mapo, Seoul gathers Greek, Russian, and Eastern European believers. Hinduism has temples and Indian community gatherings in and around Seoul, and for foreigner-friendly Buddhism, the Jogye Order's International Seon Center in Yangcheon-gu runs English Dharma talks and temple stays. The fastest way is usually to find your own nationality's Facebook group or KakaoTalk chat, where worship schedules get shared.