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| Shin Ramyun's Big Bowl noodles / Courtesy of Nongshim |
By Kim Jae-heun
Korean food has been one of the biggest cultural products to surf the Korean wave to global popularity. However, no one could have expected instant noodles and dumplings made by Korean firms to please foreign palates over mainstays like bibimbap and bulgogi.
Nongshim, the country's largest instant noodle maker, has achieved surprising sales performance with its all-time best-seller Shin Ramyun, which is well-known for its spicy flavor.
Until last year, Nongshim's Shin Ramyun domestic sales dwarfed sales abroad. However, the noodle maker's overseas revenue has been increasing consistently, accounting for 53.6 percent of total sales as of last month, which comes to 370 billion won in revenue. It was the first time in the 35-year history of Shin Ramyun, launched in 1986, that it sold more abroad than here.
The key to this outstanding result is evident in Nongshim's motto: "The most authentic Korean taste is the most authentic global taste."
Nongshim's overseas sales go back as early as 1971 when it started exporting noodles products to the world. It targeted Korean immigrants living in Los Angeles and then expanded to Asian countries including China and Japan.
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| Go players compete in a Go tournament sponsored by Nongshim in China on Dec. 8, 2011. Korea Times file |
In 1999, Nongshim sponsored The Nongshim Cup, a Go tournament held in China, featuring the Shin Ramyun logo in its marketing. This helped introduce its instant noodles there, and it became one of the country's favorite Korean foods in 2014.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, some Korean food items have been seeing a boost in popularity due to their easy preparation methods. In 2020, The New York Times named Shin Ramyun as the most delicious noodles among its competitors in an article titled "The Best Instant Noodles."
Korean dumplings are another food item enjoying brisk sales.
CJ CheilJedang, operator of the Korean food brand Bibigo, has taken over 40 percent of the U.S. dumpling market, and its food sales in Europe and Asia have increased year-on-year by 22 percent as of the second quarter this year.
At first, people did not expect Korean dumplings to compete successfully with Chinese and Japanese dumpling brand that had already entered the American market long before and secured considerable market shares.
However, CJ CheilJedang's online marketing as well as stay-at-home measures prompted by the pandemic have pushed Bibigo dumpling sales upward.
A CJ CheilJedang official pointed out that Americans fell in love with Korean dumplings, known here as "mandu," due to the familiarity with similar global foods. Plus, Korean dumplings contain healthy ingredients that appeal to many Americans.
Last year, CJ CheilJedang sold a whopping 670 billion won worth of its Bibigo Mandu. And 420 billion won of that came from the United States alone, proving that dumplings are no longer a favorite only among Asian consumers.
Korean chicken franchises are also doing well. Kyochon Food & Beverage's overseas revenue soared by 35 percent year-on-year to reach 12 billion won. Its overseas operation started off with six restaurants in other countries, and there are now 42 restaurants in nine countries across Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
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