Korean halal products are so few worldwide that the head of the Korea Halal Authority (KHA) often feels frustrated. Muslim visitors to Korea face limited options for halal-labeled foods, with most of the roughly 3,000 halal stores relying on imports. KHA aims to boost supply of domestic halal products to meet global demand.
CHEONGJU, North Chungcheong Province — Korean halal products are so few in number worldwide that Korea Halal Authority (KHA) Managing Director Mustafa Jin Jae-nam often feels frustrated. For Muslim visitors to Korea, the variety and availability of halal-labeled Korean foods can be surprisingly limited. Some 3,000 halal food stores here, including Asia Mart and Halal World Mart, are mostly importing to fill their shelves.
Jin told The Korea Times in an interview at KHA’s office that “major distributors in Islam nations like Mah Sing Group in Malaysia sell tens of thousands of halal items for local Muslim consumers,” but “among them, Korean products account for only a few hundred, mostly food and beauty products.”
Established in 2015, KHA is one of six halal certifiers in Korea but the only one inspecting and certifying across all categories: food, beauty, pharmaceutical, industrial, agricultural, and tourism and restaurants. Its 18 employees work in three divisions: halal experts for research, inspection, and verification; a Shariah committee with imams for religious compliance; and a fair trade committee to monitor market disruptions. The office holds records for some 250 certified companies.
Korean companies are not actively pursuing halal labels due to lack of awareness or misleading private consultants charging millions of won in fees. Despite K-food’s global popularity, their market shares in Muslim countries remain small. Jin proposes inviting major distributors to a halal-themed expo in Korea to secure export deals, arguing it’s more effective than government food shows.
“To local Muslim consumers, the label is almost essential. They don’t care about famous brands or price. They care about the label,” he said. Recent inquiries flooded KHA from ministries of industry, agriculture, and food and drug safety.
President Lee Jae-myung last month urged the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to develop a state-run halal system after his November Dubai visit. Jin downplayed it as an impulsive move, emphasizing the need for deep market understanding. “I traveled the world studying halal... All KHA employees are Muslims,” he noted, questioning the government’s preparedness for regulations and MRAs.
