Young Muslim intentions for Muslim-friendly Korean restaurants in Malaysia: a conceptual paper

Muslim-friendly Korean restaurants have become a phenomenon and are being accepted not only in Malaysia but also worldwide . Due to the demand in terms of Korean food, there are many Korean food establishments set up to fulfil the demand especially from the younger generation . However, it is noteworthyneed that only a few Korean restaurants have halal certification. By looking at the context of Muslim practitioners, any food to be consumed must be from halal sources. However, the acceptance towards Korean food among youngsters has become contradictory for the practicing Muslims. This raises concerns about maintaining the integrity of the halal certification and the need for further investigation regarding the acceptance among young Muslim consumers towards Korean restaurants which are not Muslim-friendly in Malaysia. By addressing this issue, it is important to conduct this study because despite knowing the unclear status , many young Muslim consumers still prefer to dine at theseKorean restaurants rather than wait for the restaurants to receive halal certification by JAKIM. This paper is essential to encourage Korean hospitality industry practitioners for applying the halal certification for their business ventures in Malaysia. Furthermore, this paper aims to support the Sustainable Development Goal which is to promote health and well-being for people in Malaysia.