Korea Central Mosque
Korea’s first purpose-built mosque, opened in Itaewon in 1976 and still functioning as the country’s principal Islamic worship and community center
Islamic religious life in Korea, contemporary multicultural Seoul, active worship architecture, halal food streets, community institutions and Itaewon urban history
A hilltop mosque with twin minarets, central dome, separate prayer areas, ablution rooms, classrooms and offices, surrounded by a dense cluster of halal restaurants, groceries and other Muslim-oriented businesses
Its significance extends beyond the prayer hall: the mosque gave Korean Islam a permanent institutional address and helped shape the halal restaurants, shops and services that now define part of Usadan-ro
The mosque gave Korean Islam a permanent address
Korea Central Mosque opened on May 21, 1976 after the Korean government provided the Itaewon site and Muslim-majority countries helped fund construction. Its twin minarets and central dome still mark the hill above Usadan-ro, where worship, education and community services occupy the same complex
Construction had begun in October 1974 on roughly 4,958 square metres of land provided by the government in 1969. Saudi Arabia and other Muslim-majority countries contributed to the building cost, giving the project both a Korean institutional base and an international funding network
The building follows daily religious use
The mosque is organized around worship. Prayer halls occupy the main building, while the annex contains separate men’s and women’s ablution rooms, classrooms and offices. An adjacent Islamic Center adds children’s religious education, community groups and a library
That arrangement is visible in how people move through the complex. Shoes come off before prayer areas, worshippers use the ablution spaces first, and visitor timing follows the prayer schedule
The institution continues down the hill
The mosque’s influence is easiest to see outside the gates. On the same Usadan-ro 10-gil approach, the street includes a halal butcher, an Islamic bookstore, a halal supermarket, restaurants and a travel agency. Eid at No. 15 serves halal Korean food, while Manis Kitchen at No. 36 applies halal preparation to Korean street-food dishes. The commercial district is therefore visible block by block on the walk to the mosque
Itaewon changed around it
The mosque opened while South Korea’s political and economic links with the Middle East were expanding. Over the following decades, migration from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia and other Muslim-majority countries added new congregations and businesses to Itaewon
The surrounding district changed for other reasons too, including the long presence and later relocation of the U.S. military community. Korea Central Mosque remained a fixed point through those shifts, giving Seoul’s Muslim population a stable place for prayer, education and community organization
Before you go
Visit with the expectations of an active religious site. Dress modestly, remove shoes where indicated and avoid photographing people during prayer. The neighborhood below the mosque is part of the visit: Usadan-ro’s halal restaurants and shops show how far the institution’s role extends beyond the main prayer building
- Hours
- The mosque operates every day; prayer times vary with sunrise and the monthly worship schedule
- Admission
- There is no ticketed admission system for visiting the mosque
- Access
- Non-Muslims may enter, but modest dress is required and visitors must avoid behavior that interferes with worship, including photographing people during prayer
- Transit
- Itaewon Station (Line 6) Exit 3 is about 480 metres from the mosque; the final approach climbs uphill along Usadan-ro