Hanyang University has recently opened an Islamic food court to cater to an increasing number of international students.

The halal food court is a part of Hanyang’s global food corner designed to accommodate foreign students who are unable to eat Korean food, the university said.

Halal, meaning “permissible” in Arabic, refers to food prepared according to stringent Islamic guidelines.

“Korean food is nutritious and tasty, but many dishes have pork, which is prohibited in Islam. We eat chicken, mutton and beef but only those that have been slaughtered according to our religious guidelines,” Abdul Rehman, a Pakistani student who studies pathology at Hanyang, told The Korea Herald.

“There are halal restaurants in Itaewon, but we cannot go there for every meal. In addition, we prefer to have a vegetarian menu, but they are not common in Korea either,” said Nihan Toprak, a 25 year-old student from Turkey.

Hanyang University has roughly 2,000 international students, 80 of whom are Muslim, an official from the school said.

“Through the food court, we hope to provide true globalization to our students so they can experience Korean and international cultures in depth,” he added.

The halal food court is available two days a week.

By Lee Sang-ju  (sjlee370@heraldcorp.com)