Korea’s ramen exports on course to reach $1 bn in 2024

South Korea’s instant ramen noodle exports soared to a record monthly high in February, data showed, on course to hit the $1 billion mark in 2024 for the first time.

According to the Korea Customs Service on Thursday, exports of Korean ramen noodle products, called ramyun in Korea, spiked 31.5% on-year to $92.97 million in February, their highest-ever monthly export sales.

That broke the previous record of $90.78 million reached in November of last year. By volume, ramen shipments jumped 20.0% on-year to 23,000 tons last month.

South Korea exports instant noodle products to nearly 100 countries thanks to the worldwide fame of Korean content such as K-pop.

Ramen frequently appears in Korean movies and dramas, including the Oscar-winning Parasite.

During the COVID-19 quarantine period, mouth-numbing spicy Korean ramen became a global snack trend. 

The export volume excludes the instant ramen noodles produced at overseas factories and sold directly to foreign markets. Considering their local sales, their total global sales should be much higher.

Nongshim Co. Ottogi, Samyang Foods Co. are major Korean ramen producers.

By country, the US ranked as their largest overseas market with shipments of $19.8 million, followed by China with $15.2 million, the Netherlands with $6.0 million and Japan with $5.5 million.

On an annual basis, South Korea’s ramen exports have set a record high for a ninth consecutive year since recording $220 million in 2015.

In 2023, the country’s exports of the instant noodle products came in at $952.4 million. This year, the figure is projected to hit the $1 billion mark for the first time.

South Korea’s ramen trade balance recorded its largest-ever surplus of $91.06 million in February.

Write to Hun-Hyoung Ha at hhh@hankyung.com
Yeonhee Kim edited this article.