1. Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se, in commemoration of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan, will host an Iftar dinner for some 130 people related to Islam and the Middle East at Hotel Shilla, Seoul, on July 10.

* Ramadan refers to the ninth month of the Islamic calendar during which Muslims commemorate the revelation of the Koran to the prophet Mohammad by fasting and practicing asceticism, charity, generosity and brotherhood. This year’s Ramadan, which began on June 18, will last until July 17.

* Iftar, which literally means to “break fasting,” refers to the first meal (dinner) Muslims have after a day of fasting on each day of the Ramadan month.

2. This year’s Iftar dinner, in particular, will be co-hosted by Korea Broadcasting Station (KBS), which marks the 40th anniversary of the launch of its Arabic services. The event will bring together KBS President and CEO Cho Dae-hyun; Moroccan Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Mohammed Chraibi who also serves as Dean of the Arab Diplomatic Corps in the country; Imam Lee Ju-hwa of the Korea Muslim Federation; Mohammed Al-Hassnah, the Representative Director of Aramco Asia-Korea; President Lee Jin-sook of Daejeon Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) who worked as a Gulf War reporter; Senior Vice President Kim Dong-chul of S-Oil; Arabs studying in the ROK; and others from various walks of life related to Islam and the Middle East.

3. The Foreign Ministry has held the Iftar dinner for diplomats to the ROK from member countries of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on an annual basis since 2004. In view of the Iftar event as an opportunity to communicate and build rapport with the Muslim community in the ROK, the Ministry has invited Muslim residents in the ROK and a number of others related to Islam and the Middle East to the event to enhance understanding on the Islamic culture and engage in robust communication with those poeple.

4. The Foreign Ministry expects that its Iftar event, which marks the 12th in 2015, will help the increasingly multicultural ROK mature into a more inclusive society that respects various religions and cultures.


* unofficial translation