This Thing Koreans Visit Once Every 5 Days... Export Volume Also Hits Record High [K-Ramen 60th Anniversary]

September 15, 1963: Korea's First 'Samyang Ramen' Launched
1980s: Major Bestsellers Including 'Shin Ramyun' Released
Export Revenue Surpasses $400 Million in First Half of This Year, Showing Growth Trend

When ramen or jjajangmyeon are consumed continuously, an imprint forms. If you refrain from eating those pitiful foods for a while, you start craving them even when you're not hungry. This imprint is not on the tongue but resembles a pattern etched on emotions. The world, dark and musty like jjajangmyeon or fleeting like ramen, comforts the depths of the heart with a resigned ease. - Kim Hoon, "While Boiling Ramen"

Novelist Kim Hoon said that taste is more of an emotional phenomenon than a chemical entity. Observing that the ramen market in Korea continues to grow without shrinking despite the abundance of food in Korean society today, he attributed this to ramen being deeply rooted in the emotional soil of Koreans. This year marks the 60th anniversary since ramen production began in Korea. Although ramen's beginnings in this land were a product of a harsh reality aimed at alleviating severe food shortages, after 60 years, ramen is no longer a pitiful food but has established itself as a vanguard of 'K-Food' symbolizing Korean food culture.

Early product photos of Samyang Ramen, Korea's first ramen by Samyang Foods (from left, products from 1963 to 1965)
[Photo by Samyang Foods]

The First Korean Ramen Born Amid Severe Food Shortages in 1963

The origins of Korean ramen trace back to the early 1960s. At that time, hungry laborers lined up daily at Seoul's Namdaemun Market to buy 'kkulkkuli juk,' a porridge made from food discarded by U.S. troops. Witnessing the miserable plight caused by food shortages, Jeon Jung-yoon, the late honorary chairman and founder of Samyang Foods, recalled the ramen he tasted while studying in Japan. He immediately resigned from his successful insurance company president position and founded Samyang Foods in 1961. He imported machinery and technology from Japan's Myojo Foods and launched Korea's first ramen, 'Samyang Ramen,' on September 15, 1963.

Samyang Ramen weighed 100g and was priced at 10 won. Considering that coffee cost 35 won, movies 55 won, and cigarettes 25 won at the time, this was a relatively low price. However, the market's response to ramen's initial release was lukewarm. It was not easy to shift a rice-centered diet, long established, to one based on wheat flour overnight. Ramen, struggling initially, began to capture Korean tastes starting in 1965 when the government introduced a mixed grain diet promotion policy to resolve the food crisis. The affordable price and the ability to satisfy a meal drew attention, putting ramen on a growth trajectory.

Following the government's mixed grain diet promotion policy, more companies entered the ramen market. In 1965, Lotte Industrial Co., the predecessor of Nongshim, launched 'Lotte Ramen' and entered the market. Additionally, eight products such as 'Pungnyeon Ramen' (Pungnyeon Foods), 'Dakpyo Ramen' (Shinhan Flour), and 'Haepyo Ramen' (Dongbang Oil) flooded the market. However, Samyang Foods maintained an overwhelming market share of over 80%, securing an unshakable first place, while other companies competed at similar levels. By the late 1960s, only Samyang Foods and Nongshim survived, competing until the golden age of the ramen market in the 1980s.

Exterior view of the early Samyang Foods ramen factory. [Photo by Samyang Foods]

The Golden Age of the Ramen Market in the 1980s... The Beginning of a Legend

The 1980s are called the golden age of the ramen market. Most of the products that have ranked high in sales to this day were launched during this period. Nongshim was the first to break ground. In 1982, Nongshim introduced 'Neoguri,' featuring seafood udon flavor, followed by 'Yukgaejang Bowl Noodles,' officially opening the cup noodle market. The following year, they launched 'Anseongtangmyun,' based on soybean paste, and in 1984, 'Chapaghetti,' beginning a serious challenge to Samyang Foods' two-decade reign. Meanwhile, Paldo (then Korea Yakult) released 'Paldo Bibimmyun' in 1984 and 'Dosirak' in 1986, and Ottogi joined the competition in 1988 with 'Jin Ramen,' forming the current market structure.

1985 marked the first royal succession in Korea's ramen history. Nongshim, which had shaken the market with numerous hit products in the early to mid-1980s, finally became the market leader in 1985. After securing the top spot, Nongshim focused on developing products to solidify its lead. The product born from considering Koreans' preference for spicy broth was 'Shin Ramyun,' launched in 1986. Shin Ramyun instantly gained immense popularity, marking the transition of the ramen market from predominantly mild flavors to an era of spicy ramen. Since 1991, Shin Ramyun has firmly held the number one spot in the domestic ramen market for 33 consecutive years.

Spicy Ramen Establishes Itself as the Foundation of Korean Ramen Flavor

As Korea's ramen history progressed and dozens of new products were launched annually, various trends and concepts have shaken and then disappeared from the market. A representative example is the white broth ramen craze. In 2011, ramen companies competitively introduced white broth ramen, starting with Samyang Foods' 'Nagasaki Jjamppong,' followed by Paldo's 'Kkokkomyeon' and Ottogi's 'Giseumyeon.' At the time, the industry suggested that hidden consumer desires had erupted in the otherwise spicy-dominated market, raising concerns about a crisis in the spicy ramen market and predictions that the market would split between white broth and traditional red broth ramen. However, the white broth craze that heated up in 2011 quickly faded from the following year and is now maintained as a small category.

After the white broth ramen craze, spicy flavor has firmly established itself as the foundation of Korean ramen taste. Shin Ramyun has maintained its leading position in the domestic market for over 30 years despite numerous challenges and has grown into a global product exported to over 100 countries worldwide. Another example is Samyang Foods' 'Buldak Bokkeummyeon,' launched in 2012, which gained attention domestically and internationally as the centerpiece of the spicy food eating challenge culture online, becoming a major export item. Recently, Korean ramen has once again focused on fiery spiciness. This month, Nongshim released 'Shin Ramyun The Red,' enhancing the spiciness of Shin Ramyun, and major ramen companies have simultaneously introduced spicier versions of their existing products. The future direction of the Korean ramen market amid the ever-changing market trends is eagerly anticipated.

Ramen Leading the Vanguard of K-Food

As the Korean ramen market has grown both quantitatively and qualitatively, the notion that ramen is solely a domestic industry has become outdated. Since Samyang Foods began exporting to Vietnam in 1969, ramen exports have shown remarkable growth. Especially this year, marking the 60th anniversary of ramen's birth, Korean ramen is experiencing its heyday with record-high export figures in the first half of the year. According to the Korea Customs Service, ramen exports in the first half of this year totaled $446.2 million (approximately 590 billion KRW), a 16.4% increase from the previous record of $383.28 million in the first half of last year. Ramen exports have steadily increased since 2015. From $103.83 million in the first half of 2015, exports rose to $216.18 million in the first half of 2018, surpassed $300 million at $302.07 million in the first half of 2020, and exceeded $400 million for the first time this year.

Despite Korea's per capita GDP surpassing $30,000, consumption remains steady. According to the World Instant Noodles Association (WINA), Koreans' annual ramen consumption last year was 77 servings per person, up by 4 from the previous year. Total consumption reached 3.95 billion servings, a 4.2% increase (160 million servings). Korean ramen consumption had hovered around 3.8 to 3.9 billion servings annually but peaked at 4.13 billion servings in early 2020 due to social distancing measures limiting dining out and increased demand for home-cooked meals. However, in 2021, prolonged COVID-19 led to growth in meal kits and delivery foods, causing ramen consumption to drop to 3.79 billion servings. Last year, ramen consumption recovered, raising the per capita annual consumption to 77 servings, meaning Koreans consumed ramen every 4.8 days regardless of age or gender.