Why South Korean noodle companies are betting on an overseas appetite for growth

Fancy immoderate cheese-flavored spicy noodles? Judging by export sales, the remainder of the satellite can't get capable of South Korea's nutrient exports, besides known arsenic "K-Food."

Exports of "K-Food+" — a class that includes nutrient products and cultivation industries — surged to a grounds $13.62 cardinal successful 2025, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

That's a 5.1% summation from a twelvemonth earlier and marked the tenth consecutive twelvemonth of growth.

"Global request for Korean noodles continues to expand, and companies person scaled up accumulation and stabilized proviso chains to conscionable it," the ministry noted successful a late‑2025 report.

Other categories besides gained traction overseas, with Korean sauces benefiting from the request for spicy and saccharine flavors, portion crystal pick and effect exports roseate too.

What makes the humble battalion of South Korean instant noodles truthful popular? Analysts accidental civilization plays a large role.

The monolithic entreaty of K-pop and Korean tv dramas has helped substance demand, with nutrient often featured connected screen. Characters are often shown eating ramyeon successful dramas, assortment shows and advertisements.

Just arsenic K-pop companies are looking overseas for growth, Korean nutrient makers, particularly those selling ramyeon, are doing the same, said Oh Jiwoo, expert astatine brokerage CGS International.

Nongshim CEO Cho Yong-chul told employees astatine the commencement of 2026 that the company's concern rule for the twelvemonth was "Global Agility & Growth," urging unit to grow its overseas footprint.

Otoki CEO Hwang Sung-man said astatine a shareholder gathering successful March 2025 that the company, champion known for its Jin Ramen, would prioritize "exploring planetary markets" and purpose for an overseas income gross of 1.1 trillion won ($746 million) by 2030.

CGS' Oh said companies are looking beyond South Korea's shores due to the fact that the domestic market is saturated. For example, Nongshim, champion known for its Shin Ramyeon brand, holds implicit 60% marketplace stock successful South Korea.

"Their main merchandise was archetypal invented successful 1970s and 80s. And those products, [the] aforesaid products, is selling each year, [with] nary selling cost," she said.

South Korea's demographic diminution besides limits semipermanent home growth, Oh added, pushing companies to look abroad.

As a result, noodle makers person leaned into K-pop's planetary reach, signing fashionable ambassadors and icons to summation their overseas appeal.

Nongshim named SM Entertainment miss radical Aespa arsenic planetary ambassadors successful precocious 2025, pursuing a collaboration with Netflix connected a K-pop Demon Hunters-themed noodle line. Otoki has tapped BTS subordinate Jin arsenic its marque exemplary for Jin Ramen.

Rising surviving costs overseas person besides boosted demand.

According to a November study by Macquarie, ostentation has expanded the U.S. noodle marketplace arsenic consumers question affordable, convenient meals.

Oh besides noted that eating retired successful the U.S. and Europe is precise expensive. "Consumers privation to prevention more, past they effort ramyeon, it's large and it's cheap."

U.S. ostentation for "food distant from home" breached a 13-year precocious of 5.3% successful 2021 and peaked astatine 8.8% successful March 2023, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Although ostentation has tapered since then, the class astir precocious showed ostentation of 4.1%.

Beyond a saturated market, South Korea's instant noodle manufacturers look government-imposed limits connected terms increases, restricting their quality to offset rising costs, Macquarie said.

Overseas markets, connected the different hand, let companies to acceptable higher mean selling prices, Oh said. She added that successful China and different Asian markets, mean prices tin beryllium 30%-50% higher than successful South Korea, portion successful the U.S., mean prices tin beryllium astir double.

Macquarie said that the ascendant Japanese and Korean brands person benefited from shifting depletion patterns owed to their absorption connected "product innovation and cultivating a premium marque image."

Samyang Foods was identified arsenic a cardinal beneficiary, with Macquarie projecting it volition beryllium capable to summation its U.S. marketplace stock to 23.9% by 2028, from the existent 11.4%.

"We judge premium instant noodles with beardown merchandise innovation volition beryllium the cardinal operator for US market," Macquarie said.

Samyang Foods is known for its Buldak enactment of spicy instant noodles, which gained popularity successful 2014 for the "fire noodle challenge," successful which participants tried to devour the noodles without drinking water.

The inclination led to regulatory scrutiny successful 2024 erstwhile Danish authorities concisely recalled immoderate Buldak products implicit precocious capsaicin levels, which posed a superior wellness risk. The callback was aboriginal reversed.