Samyang Foods Hires Over 70 External Talents
Breaks Food Industry Norms, Shifts to Trend-Driven Sectors
"People Are the Strategy"... Revamps from Organizational Culture to Content
Kim Jeongsu, Vice Chairman of Samyang Round Square, is pursuing a talent strategy that breaks away from conventional hiring practices in the food industry. By recruiting external talent who have gained experience in trend-driven industries such as beauty, fashion, and electronics, rather than remaining within the traditional boundaries of the food sector, he is building a differentiated growth strategy unique to Samyang Foods.
According to the food industry on July 21, Vice Chairman Kim has emphasized to executives and employees over the past several years that "there is no need to insist on hiring only those with food industry backgrounds just because we are a food company," and that "talented individuals with a keen sense for consumer trends, who have worked in industries closest to consumers, can drive change at Samyang Foods." He believes that diverse industry experience is actually more suitable for executing new strategies.
From 2022 to last year, Samyang Foods hired more than 70 people from industries outside of food. The total number of hires increased by 24%, from 1,926 in 2022 to 2,390 in 2024, with about 15% of them coming from the fashion, beauty, and electronics sectors. These employees have been assigned to departments with strong consumer touchpoints, such as brand strategy, design, marketing, and business planning. This was a decision aimed not just at bringing in external talent, but at fundamentally transforming the organization.
Kim Jeongsu, Vice Chairman of Samyang Round Square, is giving a greeting at the groundbreaking ceremony of Samyang Foods Milyang Plant 2. [Photo by Samyang Round Square]
Vice Chairman Kim stated, "Until now, content focused on eating 'spicier and more' has been the mainstay, but going forward, we will turn the Buldak brand into a cultural platform based on fun and enjoyable content." His strategy is to expand a single product brand into a content-driven "cultural business."
Vice Chairman Kim sees talent density as a core element of corporate growth. He believes that proactively securing capable individuals and creating an organizational culture where they can fully realize their abilities is the essential role of a company.
This strategy is also being implemented at Samyang Ani, the content commerce subsidiary of Samyang Foods' holding company, Samyang Round Square Group. This organization, which includes more than 25 content professionals such as producers and writers, is engaged in the "Eatertainment" business, expanding food and enjoyment culture into entertainment content. Through its own production unit, Round Studio, it operates YouTube channels "JohnMaat" and "PEPPO." Notably, "PEPPO" has surpassed 150 million cumulative views and 900,000 subscribers.
Organizational culture innovation is also underway. Samyang Foods operates an internal organizational culture assessment program every year. Last year, the internal evaluation recorded an average score of 3.47 out of 5. The positive response rate increased compared to the previous year in the categories of "recognition for achievements" and "personal growth experience through work." Based on the evaluation results, departments identified as needing improvement conduct tailored improvement activities through "Level-Up Workshops."
Adalin, the "Carbo Girl," who cried loudly after receiving a Carbo Buldak as a gift. Later, Samyang held an event giving away a year's supply of Buldak as gifts. TikTok capture.
The company has also shifted its marketing strategy. Moving away from celebrity-focused TV commercials, it has launched consumer participation marketing initiatives. Notable examples include an event visiting "Carbo Girl" Adalin, the "Ferry Party" with Danish fans, and the "Fresh Map" campaign for the "Maptaeng" brand. Recently, the company has also introduced products that break market stereotypes, such as mint-flavored bibim-myeon.
The background to Vice Chairman Kim's talent management approach is Samyang Foods' ideal talent profile, "Roundsquary." This refers to individuals who integrate opposing elements to create new value, those who drive change based on a deep understanding of fundamentals, and thinkers who continually ask questions and redefine the right answers.
A Samyang Foods representative explained, "The philosophy that asking better questions is more important than finding the right answers is embedded throughout the company," adding, "Recruitment, organizational culture, and management strategy are all designed according to this philosophy."
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