Boiling Hot 'Shin Ramyun' Worldwide... Annual Sales Approaching 1 Trillion Won

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] The Chapaguri from the movie Parasite and the raw ramen snack from the drama Squid Game. As Korean ramen gains worldwide popularity, Nongshim's Shin Ramyun, the number one ramen brand in Korea, is expected to see its overseas sales surpass domestic sales for the first time.

On the 9th, Nongshim announced that the cumulative overseas sales of Shin Ramyun in the third quarter have exceeded domestic sales. The total cumulative sales of Shin Ramyun in the third quarter reached 690 billion KRW, with overseas sales (370 billion KRW) accounting for 53.6%. Nongshim expects overseas sales of 500 billion KRW this year from the Shin Ramyun brand alone. The total sales forecast for Shin Ramyun is 930 billion KRW. Achieving annual sales of 1 trillion KRW with a single brand is now within reach.

Launched in 1986, Shin Ramyun began exports in 1987, gaining attention on the global stage. Last year, due to the spread of COVID-19 and the trend of preferring home cooking over dining out, the number of people seeking Shin Ramyun increased significantly, with promotional effects through media playing a key role.

In the United States, an animated advertisement titled "The Delicious Instinct of Shin Ramyun" attracted attention with 14 million views on YouTube, and in Canada, advertisements were placed on buses and streetcars.

With the global success of the Netflix original drama Squid Game, interest in Korean ramen continues to rise. In one scene of Squid Game, raw ramen is sprinkled with seasoning powder and eaten as a snack, leading to a growing number of people imitating this on YouTube and other platforms, creating a buzz. Last year, the movie Parasite featured "Chapaguri," a dish made by mixing Chapagetti and Neoguri ramen, which significantly increased Korean ramen exports. It is expected that the popularity of ramen will rise even further due to the Squid Game craze.

As its recognition rapidly grows overseas, Shin Ramyun and Chapagetti were recently selected as the best ramen by New York Magazine, a well-known biweekly magazine in the United States. Chef Irene Yoo, who participated in the selection, described Shin Ramyun as "Korea's representative ramen and a benchmark for evaluating other ramens," adding, "It is very spicy with a strong umami flavor and pairs well with various ingredients." Regarding Chapagetti, she said, "It is a product that is fun to eat," and suggested, "It tastes even better when topped with chadolbagi (thinly sliced beef brisket) and a drizzle of truffle oil."

Nongshim plans to use this achievement as a new leap forward and accelerate its global market expansion. With the start of operations at its second factory in the United States by the end of this year, it expects to increase supply not only to the U.S. and Canada but also to Mexico and South America, achieving even greater growth.