[THE INVESTOR] The number of Muslim tourists rose 38 percent from 2012 to 2014, according to data from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on July 15.

The ministry added it expects the number to hit 800,000 this year.

In 2014, 750,000 Muslims visited the country, up from 540,000 in 2012.

Despite the rising number, South Korea still appeared to be lacking in the necessary amenities and tourism options for Muslims.

The biggest hurdle is food, with only a dozen restaurants being officially certified by the Korea Muslim Federation as halal restaurants.

Some Arabic and Turkish kebab houses have halal signs outside, but they are not officially certified, while “Muslim-friendly restaurants” introduced by the state-run Korean Tourism Organization mostly do not serve pork and offer vegetarian dishes. Plus, most of them are located in the Seoul metropolitan area, leaving scarce dining options to those who visit other parts of the country.

Industry officials attribute the lack of dining options for Muslims to low public awareness of the religion and difficulties in getting halal ingredients from local contractors.

“The most difficult part is to get halal ingredients for Korean menus, such as barbecued beef and chicken soup,” said Oh Seung-eon, who operates the Makan Korean Halal Restaurant in Itaewon. “We use halal beef certified in Australia and buy chickens from a poultry farm run by a Muslim we’ve known for years. We make all our sauces with certified ingredients, which takes a lot of time and effort.”

Oh said most of his customers are travelers from Southeast Asian nations and the Middle East, with some locals in the neighborhood eating at the place.

“The perception about halal foods has growingly changed as the government has promoted the halal business in recent years, but many Muslim tourists say they grapple with limited menus and locations during their stay here,” said Oh, who majored in Arabic and had worked at a trading company before opening the restaurant in early 2015.

In light of growing calls for better infrastructure for Muslim travelers, the government last week announced a series of measures to expand halal food options and prayer rooms in major public facilities, including airports, hotels and convention centers.

The Tourism Ministry plans to publish a recipe book on how to make Korean traditional cuisine in accordance with the Islamic law and develop halal menus for local hospitals that have seen more patients from Middle Eastern nations.

According to a survey by the Korea Health Industry Development Institute, Muslim patients who visited South Korea last year gave local hospitals’ halal food the lowest score among seven nonmedical services, due mainly to inconvenience when eating and a limited menu.

In addition to food, the government also said it will form a consortium with cosmetic companies and academic circles to develop ingredients that do not contain any materials banned in Islam, such as collagen extracted from pigs and alcohol-containing glycerin.

Although Korean cosmetics have enjoyed popularity in the Muslim world, only four companies have received official halal certifications overseas.

“There are pork derivatives and alcohol in most cosmetics products, so Muslims should really use something else. While the perception of halal cosmetics is not yet widespread, more cosmetic companies are seeking ways to get halal certifications to target the emerging market,” said Cho Min-haeng, an overseas marketing director of Talent Cosmetic Co., a local cosmetic brand certified by the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia, or Jakim for short.

The government is also considering easing visa regulations for tourists from Middle Eastern countries that don’t have terrorist ties to boost tourism as a way of jacking up the stagnant consumption in Asia’s fourth-largest economy.

(theinvestor@heraldcorp.com)