Muslim YouTuber with 5.52 Million Subscribers Buys Land in Incheon
"Plan to Build a Mosque on the Land... Create a Place for Evangelism"
Elementary and High Schools Nearby... Strong Resident Opposition Expected
A Muslim YouTuber with many subscribers has sparked controversy by announcing plans to build a large Islamic mosque in Incheon.
On the 11th, YouTuber A, who has 5.52 million subscribers, revealed on his YouTube channel that he purchased land measuring 284.4㎡ (approximately 84 pyeong) in Unbuk-dong, Jung-gu, Incheon. The land is located near Yeongjong Station in Unbuk-dong, Jung-gu, and was purchased for 189.2 million KRW. Nearby are Incheon Yeongjong Elementary School Geumsan Branch and Incheon Haneul High School, and there are also temples and churches operating in the area. A said, "With the help of many people, I have signed a land contract to build a mosque in Incheon," sharing this news.
A said, "On the purchased site, I plan to build a prayer space for Da'wah (Islamic proselytizing) for Koreans and an Islamic podcast studio," adding, "I truly believe this is a huge step. There will be many difficulties, but I believe I can accomplish it." He continued, "I will do my best until the day when every street in Korea is filled with Azan (the call to prayer sounded periodically from Islamic mosques according to prayer times)."
A also sought financial support for the building's completion. He said, "Financial help is needed to complete the building," and shared his personal bank account number for donations.
Meanwhile, it is estimated that there are about 200,000 Muslims in South Korea, including approximately 35,000 Koreans and 150,000 foreigners. There are about 200 Islamic mosques nationwide where they worship. A representative mosque is the Seoul Central Mosque located on Usadan-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul.
In Daegu, conflicts among residents over the construction of an Islamic mosque have persisted for four years. The issue began when residents filed a lawsuit opposing the construction, citing infringement of property rights and noise, leading the court to issue a construction halt order. However, in September 2022, the Supreme Court ruled that the construction halt was illegal and sided with the builder, allowing construction to resume. Currently, construction has been halted again after it was discovered that stud bolts were omitted during the building process.
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