“They suddenly take off their shoes and pray”: Does Muslim prayer at a highway rest stop make you uncomfortable? [What do you think?]

[Financial News] Photos showing several people taking off their shoes and prostrating on the floor to pray at a highway rest stop have surfaced, sparking controversy over religious practices in public places.

On the 27th, according to the online community Bobaedream, a post titled “Live from a Highway Rest Stop” was uploaded on the 25th. The post's author, A, shared two photos along with the text, “They’ve suddenly taken off their shoes and are praying in front of the food court.”
The photos showed several people prostrating on the floor with their shoes set aside. The nationalities and religions of those pictured were not clearly identified, but online commenters took the scene to be an Islamic form of worship and reacted critically.
This appears to be because group prayers by Muslims (followers of Islam) in public places have also been witnessed from time to time in Korea. According to their doctrine, Muslims must pray at set times five times a day, and each prayer takes around 5–10 minutes. The doctrinal emphasis on making prayer a top priority has clashed with sensibilities in Korea and has become a source of cultural conflict.

Online commenters who saw the post voiced complaints, saying, “It’s hard to understand why they do that in a public place where so many people come and go,” “If they’ve come to Korea, they should follow basic public etiquette and culture,” and “I wouldn’t mind as long as they don’t inconvenience others, but praying in a passageway in a crowded public place is itself an inconvenience.”
Accounts from people who said they had witnessed similar scenes also followed. One commenter said, “I saw three people doing that at a rest stop last year, too,” while others commented, “When they disappear while working and I go to look, they’re praying like that,” and “International students from Muslim-majority countries sometimes find an empty room and pray together when the set time comes.”
Many also said that religious freedom should be respected and excessive criticism avoided. One commenter wrote, “How is this any different from singing hymns at a funeral?” and added, “They have their own lives and beliefs, so it’s not for us to pass judgment.”
Another commenter pointed out, “In reality, most people pray quietly in a corner as much as possible, and people don’t pay much attention to it,” adding, “Mocking them indiscriminately just because it’s a religious practice crosses the line.”

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