Ramadan starts in Korea amid MERS concerns

The country’s largest Muslim event started Thursday in Korea amid escalating concerns over the Middle East respiratory syndrome outbreak.

Hundreds of Muslims gathered at a mosque in central Seoul on the first day of the Ramadan. About 100,000 Muslims in Korea are expected to practice the tradition of fasting from dawn to sunset for a month, officials in the capital said.

As public concerns persisted over MERS spreading, Seoul City and Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism have persuaded a number of organizers of large events to postpone or cancel them, including the Muslim community.

The Korea Muslim Federation, however, asked for understanding as the religious event is held in accordance with the Koran.

In order to prevent infection, the KMF said it would follow the strict hygiene rules and conduct regular disinfection measures. The city also vowed to provide venue sterilization support if needed.

Over 1,000 Muslims are expected to gather in the mosque at the close of Ramadan on July 17, the religious group said.

The MERS caution was raised in other countries as Ramadan started.

In Indonesia, the government urged the public to wear protective masks if participating in Ramadan in the Middle East.

The International Society for Infectious Diseases has stressed that the MERS monitoring must be toughened during the Ramadan period as the crowds gathering can trigger a spread of the disease.

By Lee Hyun-jeong (rene@heraldcorp.com)