| Due to the kidnapping incident of Korean short-term missionaries in Afghanistan in 2007, increased discrimination following the September 11 attacks, and the physical appearance of Muslim foreigners, Korea has an overwhelmingly widespread misunderstanding, a distorted image, and a fear of Islam (Islamophobia). Despite an increase in its Muslim population, Korean society appears to have little understanding of or appreciation for this population. After migration to Korea, Muslim migrant workers encounter various challenges in their everyday life experiences during the adaptation process.;While there is a small but growing body of literature on Muslim migrants in Korea, there is limited understanding of the effect of migration on Muslim religiosity and identity as impacted by the adaptation process. The purpose of this study was to understand experiences of Muslim migrant workers' adaptation to a non-Muslim Korean context. It particularly focuses on understanding the effect of migration on the issues of their Islamic belief, practice, and religious identity in and out of the workplace in Korea.;This study, using qualitative methods, included 37 research participants (12 Pakistanis, 15 Bangladeshis, and 10 Indonesians) who came to Korea to earn money under the authorization of the labor migration system and had been working under 3-D (difficult, dirty, and dangerous) conditions for at least three years. Data were analyzed using grounded theory procedures. The central understanding to emerge from the data was that Muslim migrant workers' adaptation to life in Korea presents three notable difficulties: separation from family, cultural isolation, and hardship in the workplace. These difficulties disrupt Islamic religious practice, which contributes to either veiled or reaffirmed religious identity during their stay in Korea.;This study's findings show that during the adaptation process religiosity and religious identity were strengthened for some Muslim migrant workers but weakened for others. Specifically, the Muslim religiosity and identity of Indonesian migrant workers was strengthened due to strong in-group ties and a strong organizational structure, while the Muslim religiosity and identity of Pakistani and Bangladeshi migrant workers were weakened due to a lack of the same. |
