Korean noodle exports slurp past $340 million

By Ko Dong-hwan

Actor Hwang Jeong-min in the ad for Ottogi's Jin Jjambbong Ramen

South Korea’s ramen exports surged past $340 million this year, thanks to product variety and outstanding popularity in China and the United States.

As of November, exports recorded over $346 million, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Korea Agro-Fisheries and Food Trade Corp on Tuesday. The figure beat last year’s $290 million.

The top-five importers of South Korean ramen were China, which accounted for 26 percent of the trade, the United States (12 percent), Japan (7 percent), Taiwan (6 percent) and Australia (5 percent). In the U.S., the noodles are not only on the shelves of Korean food marts but also carried by major American retailers like Walmart.

The export spike is in line with a diversification of South Korean ramen products. Among the new arrivals to stimulate taste buds were Chinese-style ramen products that are closer to jjambbong (spicy seafood noodle) and jjajangmyeon (black bean sauce noodle), popular on menus in Chinese restaurants in South Korea. A Korean-style ramen that mimicked popular hot stews like budae jjigae, literally meaning “army base stew,” also sparked consumer interest.

South Korea’s domestic ramen market was worth 2.16 trillion won ($20 billion) last year. A big increase in single-person households ― who prefer cup ramen to the square-packed variety because of convenience ― has contributed to the market’s strong growth.