As the Muslim population in rural areas of South Korea continues to grow, information about – and access to – Halal has becoming a bigger issue. This has become very important to some of us at South of Seoul due to the fact we have watched friends struggle with this in the past and now we are watching many of our classmates at Namseoul University struggle with it as well. Since the university is located one subway stop south of Pyeongtaek in northern Cheonan, we feel it is high time we did something to help.
We aren’t going to lie and say there are tons of options, but there are more and more every year and there are certainly more than can be easily found on Google. It is high time we helped keep track of them and made it easier for our community to find them. Here is what we will be doing to help with this issue:
- Find all halal options that aren’t in the South of Seoul app yet and add them.
- Clearly identify all halal options in Pyeongtaek, Cheonan, and Asan so they can be easily searched in the South of Seoul app.
- Identify which groceries sell halal products and make them searchable.
- Create blogs about halal delivery and restaurant options so more information is available in Google search.
- Support and promote halal options in the area so that more Muslims are aware of what is available.
- Talk to apppropriate businesses about offering halal options.
Although we may not share a religion with our Muslim friends, we do share this struggle of living life in a new country without access to things we hold dear. We hope that this information will help those in need of halal live more comfortably and happily in Pyeongtaek and the surrounding areas.
With that said, let’s look some of the Halal delivery and restaurant discovery options that are available:
ORDER GROCERIES: YesHalal! A variety of Halal meats and groceries delivered across South Korea. You can find them on Facebook and order from their website www.yeshalal.co.kr. You can order your weekly meat from here and do menu planning!
SPROUT MEAL KITS: Sprout is a vegetarian meal delivery service that can work that may work for many people who are Halal. You can request that they don’t use any products that don’t work with your diet. We have tried them and they are super delicious. CLICK HERE to read more.
MOGO MEAL KITS: Vegan meal delivery with plant base meat options that will keep you Halal and healthy. We have used their meal kits in the past and were very happy, although we did not try their plant-based “meats”. CLICK HERE to read more.
KOREAN TRAVEL PLANNING: Have Halal Will Travel has a healthy selection of halal restaurants across Korea and they have an app you can download to make your travel planning even easier. The perfect solution for the adventure loving Muslim. CLICK HERE to read more
NATIONAL RESTAURANT GUIDE: Imagine Your Korea has also begun developing a halal food guide for Muslim tourists since there are many. However, sadly, it does not include information for our area. Thank goodness for the South of Seoul app! CLICK HERE to read more.
This is just the beginning. We will continue to gather information and share it as we find it. If you know of additional options please send them to us at Blog@southofseoul.net.
Lanae Rivers-Woods moved to Korea in 2011 where she lives in the countryside with her family, friends, and puppies. She holds a BSSW (Bachelor’s of Science in Social Work), a MAIT (Master’s of Arts in International Teaching), and registered by the Pyeongtaek Korean Times with the Korean government as a Cultural Expert.
Ms. Rivers-Woods used her 15 years experience as a social architect, UX/UI designer, and technology consultant to found South of Seoul in 2015. South of Seoul is a volunteer organization that leverages technological tools to mitigate cultural dissonance in multi-cultural communities.
Through South of Seoul, Ms. Rivers-Woods works with independent volunteers, non-profit organizations, businesses, local & federal government, universities, and US military organizations to develop solutions to support English speaking international residents in rural South Korea.
Additionally, Ms. Rivers-Woods founded the South of Seoul smart phone app available for Google Play and iPhone. The app provides information a resources for those living and traveling in South Korea.
When she isn’t in South of Seoul development meetings or working her day job, Ms. Rivers-Woods loves to be outside at skate parks, the beach, or playing in the mountains.
