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| Customers taste cold noodles at E-mart in Seoul, Tuesday. Discount stores and other retailers are enjoying brisk sales of cold noodles after the leaders of the two Koreas dined on the dish last Friday. / Korea Times photo by Jung Da-min |
By Jung Da-min
Discount stores and other retailers are enjoying brisk sales of cold noodles, called naengmyeon in South Korea, after the leaders of the two Koreas dined on the dish last Friday.
The remarks by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un that he brought "authentic" cold noodles from Pyongyang for President Moon Jae-in and his staff created a craze among people here for the noodle, which they normally eat during summer.
Since the inter-Korean summit, many people have visited restaurants offering cold noodles, known to originate from Pyongyang and Hamhung, while others have been buying premade items at stores to enjoy the delicacy at home.
"Sales of Pyongyang cold noodles increased by 212 percent over last weekend, tripling the average daily sales throughout the week," said a spokesman at Pulmuone, one of Korea's major food companies.
"When I saw the news that the two leaders ate cold noodles together, it made me feel that the two Koreas have become intimate again," said Seo Chan-hyeong, 14, who visited the large retailer E-mart in Seoul, Tuesday.
"I heard the authentic Pyongyang cold noodles are different from what we get in South Korea and I want to try it when the two Koreas are unified."
E-mart's Yongsan branch in Seoul saw increasing sales for cold noodles over the weekend, noodle salesperson Yang Sung-suk said.
"The noodle corner has been crowded with customers looking for Pyongyang cold noodles since the inter-Korean summit," Yang said.
"Pyongyang cold noodle packages for four servings sold out yesterday and we only have packages for two servings now."
People also showed hope for unification, saying they want to visit Okryu-gwan, a cold noodle restaurant in Pyongyang founded in 1960.
"We have wanted it to happen, the leaders of the two Koreas having cold noodles together," said Lee In-suk, who came to E-mart for cold noodles. "I told my friends our next meeting should be at Okryu-gwan in Pyongyang," Lee said. "We can take the train from Seoul Station."
The Pyongyang cold noodles boom is continuing as well on social media.
Over 172,000 posts tagged with "Pyongyang cold noodles" in Korean have been shared on Instagram as of Tuesday, and Facebook and Twitter users are also posting cold noodle-related content.
"Big congratulation to the inter-Korean summit! I'll treat you to Okryu-gwan cold noodles on Mount Kumgang when the tourism project resumes. Please apply now," Kim Won-il, vice chairman of Slow Food Korea, posted on Facebook.
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