Nongshim Aims for Second Stir-Fried Noodle Hit: Global Expansion of 'Kimchi Bokkeummyeon' Following 'Tumba'

Press Conference Held at Nongshim's Gumi Plant on the 7th in Gyeongbuk
Full-Scale Expansion of the "Shin Ramyun" Brand
Export-Only Product Reflecting the "Swicy" Trend
Launching in Over 60 Countries Worldwide by Year-End
Globalizing Korean Spiciness with Kimchi

Nongshim is expanding its "Shin Ramyun" brand with the launch of a new product, "Shin Ramyun Kimchi Bokkeummyeon," targeting the global market. The company will begin global sales of the product by the end of the year, aiming to make it a global hit following the popularity of "Shin Ramyun Tumba."

Shim Kyucheol, Head of the Global Marketing Division at Nongshim, stated at a press conference held on the 7th at the Gumi Plant in Gyeongbuk, "Shin Ramyun Kimchi Bokkeummyeon will be launched in 60 to 70 countries worldwide in the first phase," adding, "Our sales scale and targets are set at the level of Shin Ramyun Tumba." Since its launch in September last year, Shin Ramyun Tumba has reached a cumulative sales volume of 60 million packs.

Nongshim will launch a new product, "Shin Ramyun Kimchi Bokkeummyeon," targeting overseas consumers in the global market by the end of this year. Photo by Han Yeju

Shin Ramyun Kimchi Bokkeummyeon is an export-only product that Nongshim first unveiled at "Anuga 2025" in Germany this October. Reflecting the recent global trend of "Swicy" (spicy and sweet), the product combines sweetness familiar to overseas consumers with the signature Korean spiciness. It enhances the distinctive spicy flavor of Shin Ramyun with the savory and sweet taste of stir-fried kimchi. The product features a kimchi paste sauce stir-fried in sesame oil, along with bok choy and kimchi flakes, delivering a rich taste and texture.

The product took two years to develop. Oh Eunji, Senior Researcher at Soup Development Team 3, said, "We focused most on recreating the authentic taste of stir-fried kimchi," and explained, "By developing a new aged kimchi paste through Nongshim’s unique process, we ensured the flavor and aroma of stir-fried kimchi naturally permeate during cooking." She added, "We also put significant effort into developing the noodles, which are key to stir-fried noodles, conducting numerous experiments to achieve a chewy, elastic texture and a perfect harmony between the noodles and sauce."

With this product, Nongshim aims to broaden the reach of "Korean spiciness" in the global market. While Shin Ramyun Tumba gained popularity in Japan and Western countries with its fusion concept, Kimchi Bokkeummyeon is designed to strengthen the authenticity of K-Food by highlighting kimchi, a representative ingredient of Korean cuisine. Recently, kimchi has been emerging as a healthy food and a symbol of Korean cuisine in the global market.

Shim Kyucheol, Head of Global Marketing Division at Nongshim, is speaking at a press conference held on the 7th at the Gumi Plant in Gyeongbuk. Photo by Han Yeju

Nongshim plans to accelerate its brand expansion in celebration of the 40th anniversary of Shin Ramyun’s launch next year, focusing on increasing its overseas market share. The company has set a goal to raise the proportion of overseas sales from the current 37% to 60% by 2030.

Shim emphasized, "Shin Ramyun is a brand that fully embodies Korean food culture and is evolving to incorporate spicy food cultures from around the world. In addition to beef broth, we plan to expand our lineup to include products with chicken or seafood broth, as well as products that feature the spiciness of various peppers, not just Cheongyang chili peppers, and even brothless noodles."

Meanwhile, "Shin Ramyun Kimchi Bokkeummyeon" will be available in Korea as a limited release at Emart starting on the 24th, with expansion to other distribution channels planned. The company is also considering launching a cup noodle version, and the price will be set at 1,300 won, the same as Shin Ramyun Tumba.