Ate Buldak Bokkeum Myeon Three Times a Week, Hospitalized
Samyang Foods Responds to Lawsuit Claims: "Groundless... No Response Planned"
There have been claims that a massive damages lawsuit has been filed in Canada over Samyang Foods' Buldak Bokkeummyeon, which has gained global popularity. However, Samyang Foods has stated that these claims are "groundless."
Haberia Wasim, a TikTok influencer residing in Toronto, Canada, announced on August 16 (local time) that she had filed a lawsuit against Samyang Foods for 15 million Canadian dollars (approximately 15 billion KRW).
Wasim, known as a spicy ramen enthusiast, stated that she ate Buldak Bokkeummyeon three times a week and had frequently shared this on her account. However, on July 31, she posted a video from the hospital, claiming, "I am suffering greatly because of Buldak Bokkeummyeon."
Subsequently, Wasim said she developed a stomach ulcer after frequently eating Buldak Bokkeummyeon and added, "Through this lawsuit, I want to bring justice to others suffering the same pain."
However, Samyang Foods has responded that these claims are not true and that there is no need to address each one individually.
A Samyang Foods representative stated on the 24th, "The claims made in some recent social networking service (SNS) posts and the reports citing them are baseless," and clarified, "There has been no lawsuit filed against Samyang Foods in North America, nor has there been any trial." The representative further added, "Even the media outlet that first reported this has since issued a correction."
Additionally, Wasim has continued to upload 'mukbang' content featuring Buldak Bokkeummyeon even after claiming to have filed the lawsuit, which has fueled controversy. She posted a video saying, "I will show you my favorite Buldak Bokkeummyeon recipe," and added, "There is a reason I still eat it even after developing a stomach ulcer." This video drew criticism not only from her fans but also from general netizens, who questioned the sincerity of her lawsuit.
Meanwhile, overseas, mukbang videos of eating Buldak Bokkeummyeon under the name 'Fire Noodle Challenge' are enjoying explosive popularity. Riding this global popularity, Samyang Foods is recording its best-ever performance.
Samyang Foods announced that in the second quarter of this year, sales reached 553.1 billion KRW and operating profit was 120.1 billion KRW, representing increases of 30% and 34%, respectively, compared to the same period last year. Cumulative sales for the first half of the year reached 1.0821 trillion KRW, surpassing 1 trillion KRW for the first time on a half-year basis. Notably, overseas sales accounted for as much as 79.6% of the total.
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