Korea's instant-noodle exports top $1.5 billion, doubling in three years

S​​​​EOUL, January 11 (AJP) -South Korea’s ramyeon exports topped US$1.5 billion last year, extending a long-running rise as the product becomes a leading item in the country’s food exports. 

Preliminary Korea Customs Service data released Sunday showed ramyeon exports rose 21.8 percent from a year earlier to a record US$1.521 billion (about 2.2 trillion won). 

Exports were US$952 million in 2023, below US$1 billion, but climbed by more than US$500 million in just two years.

Compared with 2022, when exports totaled US$765 million, the figure has doubled in three years. It is up sevenfold over the past decade from US$219 million in 2015. 

Samyang Foods, which built the “Buldak” stir-fried noodle brand, produces all of its products in South Korea for export. Nongshim, by contrast, also has factories in the United States and China, suggesting overseas sales of Korean ramyeon are far larger than export totals alone. 

Ramyeon exports have increased for 11 straight years since 2014, with faster growth in recent years. Since 2021, exports have risen an average of 23 percent annually over five years. 

Korean ramyeon has gained visibility overseas alongside K-pop and Korean dramas. Reflecting that cultural reach, “ramyeon” has been listed as an English word in the Oxford English Dictionary, which defines it as a Korean-style instant noodle dish. “Ramen,” a Japanese term, was already included. 

Last year, a scene in the Netflix animated film “K-pop Demon Hunters” showing fictional K-pop group members eating cup noodles with gimbap drew attention. British The Times reported in November under the headline, “Thanks to K-pop Demon Hunters, Korean spicy noodles are popular in the U.K.” 

Ramyeon makers are pushing further into global markets. Nongshim has rolled out “K-pop Demon Hunters” collaboration ramyeon in key markets including the United States since last year and named girl group aespa as the first global ambassador for Shin Ramyun. 

Samyang Foods completed its Miryang Plant No. 2 last year and is building its first overseas factory in Jiaxing, China. It decided to install eight production lines, two more than originally planned. 

Still, the Trump administration’s tariff war has weighed on exports. Ramyeon exports to the United States rose 18.1 percent last year, below the overall export growth rate. U.S.-bound ramyeon exports grew an average of 68 percent a year from 2022 to 2024, but the growth rate fell sharply last year after the Trump government’s 15% reciprocal tariff took effect.  

From August, when the reciprocal tariff was introduced, through December, ramyeon exports to the United States totaled US$100 million, up just 1.4% from the same period a year earlier.