Lotteria introduces ramyeon burger

By Lee Hyo-sik

Lotteria, a local hamburger franchise, has begun offering a “ramyeon burger” to compete more effectively with multinationals such as McDonald’s and Burger King.

Lotteria will offer only 500,000 at stores across the country to test public reaction.

Lotteria bakes the boiled ramyeon and uses it instead of a traditional hamburger bun. The product has a chicken patty with jalapeno sauce on top offering a spicier taste than conventional burgers. The burger costs 3,400 won ($3).

“We have been trying to think outside the box,” a Lotteria spokesman said. “We came up with the ramyeon burger by taking note that ramyeon is popular among Koreans. The burger has attracted keen public attention even before it has been launched.”

He said that if the ramyeon burger received positive customer feedback, the company would consider adding it to the regular menu.

Lotteria has been implementing a wide range of promotional activities on-and offline to raise public interest in the product.

“In particular, those in their late teens and 20s have shown a great deal of interest,” the spokesman said. “We are positive that the ramyeon burger will be a hot item.”

In 1999, Lotteria introduced a “vegetable rice bulgogi burger,” a huge hit that helped made hamburgers part of the local diet.