Former Korean Singer Plans To Build A Mosque, Muslim Community Denounces

“Another man using religion to rebrand after being exposed as a sexual predator.”

Recently, controversial ex-singer and YouTuber Daud Kim re-entered the spotlight with his latest plans.

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Daud Kim | @jaehan9192/Instagram

Daud Kim, then Jay Kim, began his singing career on YouTube, posting covers and original works before transitioning to Korean lifestyle content.

In 2020, he announced his conversion to Islam, at which point his content began reflecting this.

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| Daud Kim/Facebook

In mid-April 2023, Kim took to Instagram to announce that he had purchased land intending to build a masjid or mosque in Incheon, Korea. In his post, he left payment information and asked others to help make his “dream” a reality.

However, this has been met with much criticism and warnings from Muslims and those who have interacted with Kim.

In 2022, Kim made headlines as he was accused of converting to Islam “for clout” and his alleged attempted rape of a woman resurfaced. Kim was also reportedly seen clubbing after his conversion, and his wife Mia shared photos of bruises he allegedly gave to her and accused him of running away to avoid divorce proceedings.

Who Is Daud Kim? The Muslim YouTuber Embroiled In Multiple Controversies

With his recent announcement, these allegations have resurfaced, and many Muslims have urged against donating to Kim.

Farah Lee, a Malaysian influencer who lived in Korea for several years, shared a post about why crowdfunding for a mosque in Korea was impossible. Among several other reasons, she brought up that, according to Korean law, raising donations through private accounts is illegal, and getting money back in the case of fraud would be extremely difficult.

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| @farahlee_/Instagram

Korean influencer Ayana Jihye Moon also urged against donating to private accounts and suggested that those who wish to donate only do so to officially registered organizations, such as the Korean Muslim Federation, which she mentioned.

@ayanamoon.official

Tada! #Eid & #Zakat Update🇰🇷✌🏻 Visited Masjid #Seoul in #Itaewon ! And I was excited to see my name on the donor wall😆 I will keep on helping, sponsoring and donating for our Ummah if Allah SWT allows. However, I have #NEVER donated to anyone’s #private account as it’s very dangerous. I hope all of our brothers and sisters can donate to the organization which officially registered somewhere. As of now, I only donate to Korean Muslim Federation (KMF) in Seoul Central Masjid. May Allah SWT protect us from all the sins. Ameen. Eid Mubarak♥️ Saya menunjukkan gedung baru di Masjid #Seoul dan disini saya bisa melihat nama saya di dinding donasi. Masjid Seoul menyediakan pojok apresiasi untuk orang dan juga lembaga yang berdonasi. Alhamdulillah saya salah satunya. Mohon doa supaya saya bisa melakukan lebih banyak kegiatan amal untuk ummah di Korea, #Malaysia dan Indonesia. In shaa Allah♥️ Tapi saya tidak pernah membuka rekening bank pribadi saya untuk donasi. Itu sangat berbahaya. Tolong hati-hati🙏🏻🙅🏻‍♀️ 이드의 기쁨을 배로 누리는 법은 이슬람의 5대 의무 중 하나인 희사(Zakat)에 참여하는 것입니다. 우리가 누리는 모든 것들이 단순히 나의 능력때문이 아닌 주변의 도움과 기도 그리고 그 분의 의지로 이루어지는 것이기에 우리 주변의 도움을 필요로 하는 형제, 자매를 돕는 것 또한 우리 움마를 지속가능하게 하는 일이겠지요? 적은 금액으로도, 혹은 돈이 아니라 친절한 행동으로도 우리 움마를 더 따뜻하게 만들 수 있습니다. #Hariraya #harirayaidulfitri #Koreanmuslim #Muslimconvert #muallaf #Korea #saudiarabia #UAE #emirates #hijab #hijabi #eidmubarak

♬ 한강 고양이 리믹스 – 행복한피자빵 HappyPizzaBread

Tada! #Eid & #Zakat Update 0:
Visited Masjid #Seoul in #Itaewon ! And I was excited to see my name on the donor wall
I will keep on helping, sponsoring and donating for our Ummah if Allah SWT allows.
However, I have #NEVER donated to anyone’s #private account as it’s very dangerous. I hope all of our brothers and sisters can donate to the organization which officially registered somewhere.
As of now, I only donate to Korean Muslim Federation (KMF) in Seoul Central Masjid.
May Allah SWT protect us from all the sins.
Ameen. Eid Mubarak

— Ayana Moon’s post caption

Political activist Austin Bashore also cautioned against Kim, sharing his interaction with the former star at a Free Palestine event in Seoul. According to Bashore, Kim “took two pictures and one video of himself, pretended to participate for the video, and left.

Netizens have also taken it upon themselves to warn others of Kim’s past.

While many would support the plans to build a mosque in Korea, it is under the condition that it be done through the correct channels.

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