이슬람 ‘수쿠크’의 한국 상황화에 관한 연구

Abstract

Concerning the question of introduction of ‘Sukuk’, Islamic finance, into Korea made rapid progress since January 2009, this study tried to comprehend the meaning of ‘Sukuk’ and determine whether or not the public opinion is true that Christianity in Korean society obstructed the passage of a revision in the National Assembly while sticking to its unproductive and subjective position in order to prevent Islamization of Korea. First, on receiving interest which is a central issue in Islamic financial transactions, this paper examined the definition of ‘Ribaa’ based on the Quran, and found that interest in Islam prohibiting of receiving interest is not only interpreted as usury, but also includes ill-gotten profits from simple money trust. But according to diverse interpretation by Yusuf Ali and Sharia Committee, some forms of economic credit made by modern banks and financing are not regarded as acts of receiving interest prescribed by Islamic law. So ‘Sukuk’ methods devised in a variety of forms were also examined. Controversies over these various forms of ‘Sukuk’ are incessantly going on in Islamic society and the charge of overinterpretation of the clauses on prohibition in the Quran also continues. Especially, “Islam in the 21st-century” a special program broadcast on OBS led me to seriously consider the question of whether Islamic financing could offer an alternative to the collapsed Western financial market. In addition to this, while reflecting upon prohibition of interest mentioned in the Christian Bible, I came to think that Christians should work hard to make specific plans to economically contribute to society. According to Islamists, the Quran in principle does not allow any act of receiving interest, and Islamic scholars in the Sharia committee proclaim ‘fatawa’ in a changed social circumstances to allow a flexible interpretation of the clauses on the ban on receiving interest. Although the economic life governed by Islamic Sharia has some aspects that is hard for Christians to understand, I could get a glimpse of their effort from the perspective of application of ‘Sukuk’ to the changing situations. But this makes Christians look back on how much they as citizens in Korean society put into practice Christian perspective of finance. Meanwhile, the fact that in order to introduce ‘Sukuk’, Islamic finance, into Korea they discuss ways to give priority to some part of ‘Sharia’ over national laws, and that the profits gained from ‘Sukuk’ transactions are misappropriated in the form of ‘zakat’ for terrorism financing threatening world peace sufficiently justifies an objection of Korean people to ‘Sukuk’. Further, if we pass a revision of the ‘Restriction of Special Taxation Act’ in the National Assembly and introduce more open-minded institutions, the day to see an Islamic college in Korea, as in Malaysia, would come closer. And as in the case of Berjaya Jeju Resort invested by Berjaya Group of Malaysia, many enterprises and financial institutions of Korea are already participating in attracting Islamic capital. Therefore, there is no need for Korean government to act as a catalyst for application of ‘Sukuk’ to Korea by making ‘Sukuk’ official.