Affordable and Irresistible for Americans: "Ramen and Kimchi Today"?Global Media Praise K-food [K-Wave 3.0]⑤

K-food Targets American Dining Tables with Ramen and Kimchi
K-beauty Surpasses China to Claim Top Spot, Enters Mainstream Markets in New York and LA
Nationwide Expansion Across the United States Remains a Challenge

"Global demand for K-food shows no signs of slowing down."

On January 18 (local time), the U.S. economic news channel CNBC highlighted the global expansion of Korean food, making this observation. The broadcast specifically identified instant noodles as a key product driving the growth of K-food. With instant noodles frequently featured in globally popular K-pop and Korean dramas, demand is spreading not only in the United States and Europe but also in Central Asia and the Middle East. The report also noted that rising prices and increased living costs are boosting demand for instant noodles, which are a relatively affordable meal option.

In fact, exports of K-food, including domestic instant noodles, to the United States are surging.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Korea International Trade Association, exports of Korean food to the United States reached 1.8 billion dollars (approximately 2.6541 trillion won) last year, up 13.2%. By category, snacks accounted for 260 million dollars (about 383.4 billion won, up 14.4%), instant noodles 250 million dollars (about 368.6 billion won, up 13.9%), processed rice products 150 million dollars (about 221.1 billion won, up 8.3%), sauces 90 million dollars (about 132.7 billion won, up 5.0%), and beverages 90 million dollars (about 132.7 billion won, up 5.0%). These categories made up 46.7% of the total and led export growth. If local production volumes are considered, the share of instant noodles is even higher.

K-beauty exports also showed growth. Last year, K-beauty exports to the United States reached 1.74978 billion dollars (about 2.58 trillion won), a 13.1% increase year-on-year, marking an all-time high. The United States surpassed China to become the largest export market for K-beauty.

A consumer is examining Bibigo products at a major supermarket in the United States. Provided by CJ CheilJedang.

This export expansion is attributed to the spread of K-culture into everyday consumption in the U.S. market. As K-culture consumption in the United States expands from music and video content to daily consumer goods such as food and cosmetics, K-food and K-beauty are entering the mainstream consumer market. These industries, which once remained at the level of one-time or experiential consumption, are now combining with local distribution networks and establishing themselves as new growth drivers in the U.S. market.

According to market research firm Statista, the U.S. food market is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 4.5% after 2024, reaching 1.0326 trillion dollars (about 1,522.5687 trillion won) by 2028. The per capita food consumption in the United States is about 2,503 dollars (about 3.69 million won), and the per capita food consumption volume is approximately 457 kilograms. Since 2020, the annual average growth rate of Korean food imports to the U.S. has reached 12.3%.

Jongga Kimchi Global Advertisement at New York Times Square. Sponsored by Daesang.

K-food Penetrates American Dining Tables

The presence of K-food in the U.S. market becomes even more significant when local production is included. Major food companies such as CJ CheilJedang and Nongshim are expanding production and sales based on their U.S. factories. From January to September last year, CJ CheilJedang's U.S. sales reached 3.5676 trillion won, accounting for 41.5% of its total food sales. Given that annual sales reached 4.7138 trillion won in 2024, it is expected that this year’s sales will approach 5 trillion won.

During the same period, Nongshim's U.S. sales reached 446.6 billion won. Samyang Foods also saw its sales share in the Americas increase from 15% in 2019 to 28% as of the third quarter of 2025. Instant noodle products such as Shin Ramyun and Buldak Bokkeummyeon have driven this growth.

Jiwoo Oh, an analyst at CGS International, explained, "In the United States, demand for affordable and convenient meal alternatives is increasing due to the impact of inflation, which is expanding the noodle market. As the cost of eating out rises, more consumers are choosing instant noodles, which offer both price competitiveness and good taste, as a way to reduce spending." According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the inflation rate for dining out reached 5.3% in 2021, the highest in 13 years, and soared to 8.8% in March 2023. Although the rate of increase has slowed since then, it still remains at around 4.1% recently.

Kimchi is also expanding its presence in the U.S. market. After the Donald Trump administration included kimchi in the official U.S. government dietary guidelines, perceptions of kimchi have begun to change. Once considered an exotic food, kimchi is now being re-evaluated as a healthy fermented food, and overseas consumer demand is expected to grow. For Daesang’s Jongga brand, the United States overtook Japan in 2023 to become its largest export market. U.S. exports increased from 7.24 million dollars (about 10.6 billion won) in 2017 to 32.96 million dollars (4.86 billion won) from January to September last year. Daesang is promoting the global spread of kimchi through collaborations with local New York chicken brand Rockstar Chicken and Korean fine dining restaurant Kkochhi.

Surpassing China to Take the Top Spot... K-beauty Rushes to the U.S.

There is also analysis that K-beauty has entered a phase of global expansion, with the U.S. market as the starting point. Industry observers note that brands and products that succeed in the United States are now expanding to Europe, the Middle East, and Asia via the United Kingdom and France. Reactions from U.S. consumers and distribution performance are now key criteria for global buyers and retailers, making the United States the starting point for global beauty trends.

Outdoor advertisement photo of Mediheal Cube at Times Square, New York, USA. Provided by APR.

The rapid rise of K-beauty is attributed to the growth of e-commerce platforms. Online distribution channels centered on Amazon and TikTok Shop have accelerated the pace of expansion. According to NielsenIQ, in the past 12 months, offline sales in the global beauty market grew by just 2%, while overall sales increased by 19%.

In particular, the spread of social commerce centered on TikTok Shop stands out. Thanks to short-form video-based platforms, product usage and efficacy are communicated intuitively, leading to rapid consumer response. K-beauty's distinctive marketing approach-emphasizing ingredients, usage order, efficacy, and price-has raised awareness among U.S. consumers. Having grown online, K-beauty is now moving to expand its offline distribution networks. The U.S. cosmetics market still relies on offline channels for about 70% of sales. As a result, K-beauty brands are taking a strategy of launching a limited selection of products in offline stores, gauging consumer response, and then expanding their shelf space.

There are clear results. In February last year, Amorepacific introduced its derma brand Aestura at Sephora North America, and APR entered more than 1,400 Ulta Beauty stores across the U.S. in August. Dalba Global also entered Ulta Beauty in September last year, accelerating its offline expansion.

The results are evident. Amorepacific's sales in the Americas from January to September last year reached 438.4 billion won, a 23% increase from 356.2 billion won in the same period the previous year. For the third quarter of last year, 39% of APR's total sales came from overseas, up 16 percentage points from 23% in the same period the previous year. As of the third quarter last year, Dalba Global's cumulative exports reached 221.5 billion won, with 62% of its total sales (359.5 billion won) coming from overseas markets.

Expanding Beyond Major Cities: The Key to U.S. Market Penetration

However, some point out that mainstream consumption in the U.S. market is still limited to certain regions. While awareness of K-food and K-beauty has grown in major cities such as New York and Los Angeles, there are still many hurdles to overcome before they can spread widely across the vast U.S. market. In the current phase of market expansion, maintaining brand trust and product quality competitiveness is considered more important than short-term results.

Amid growing industry-wide burdens due to recent tariff issues, expanding local production is being discussed as an alternative. However, there are limitations for products like kimchi, where the use of Korean-grown vegetables is important. A distribution industry insider commented, "For global expansion centered on the United States to continue, a localization strategy and long-term brand management are essential. The key to future success will be how deeply K-food and K-beauty can penetrate everyday meals and consumer culture across the entire United States, beyond just major cities."