Samyang’s Hot Chicken Flavor Ramen sales exceed 5 bn

South Korea's Samyang Foods Co. announced on Friday that the cumulative sales of ramen with its Hot Chicken Flavor Ramen, or Buldak-bokkeum-myeon brand surpassed 5 billion units in mid-July. The total revenue reached 3 trillion won ($2.3 billion).

The Buldak brand, launched in April 2012, has been selling 1 billion units annually since surpassing 1 billion cumulative sales in 2017, maintaining its global popularity.

This steady growth is supported by variants of original Buldak Ramen such as Buldak Ramen Carbonara as well as content competitiveness, such as the "Fire Noodle Challenge", which spread through YouTube.

Recently, Buldak products sold only overseas have gained attention as shopping and direct purchase items, receiving enthusiastic responses not only from international markets but also from domestic consumers.

The "Samyang Buldak Rakisoba Hot Chicken Flavor Ramen" set initial inventory sell-out records and was considered a must-buy item for Korean tourists in Japan, and the "Buldak Bokkeum Tang Myeon," the representative reverse direct purchase item among Korean noodle fans, were both released in the domestic market in June due to consumer demand. Both products have already sold over 6 million units in just two months, proving their popularity.

Samyang Foods plans to strengthen its product lineup by introducing new Buldak products with unique tastes from around the world. They also plan to launch a new global campaign called "Play Buldak," which will follow the Fire Noodle Challenge.

Write to Ji-Yoon Yang at yang@hankyung.com