Nongshim said on the 8th that it will establish a local sales subsidiary, "Nongshim Rus LLC," in Moscow, Russia, in June. It comes 1 year and 3 months after it set up a European subsidiary in the Netherlands in March 2025. It appears to be laying a foothold to target the "Eurasian ramen market" spanning Europe, Russia, and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
The decision reflects a focus on the growth potential of Russia's local ramen market. According to global market research firm Euromonitor, Russia's ramen market has been posting a strong double-digit annual growth rate since 2021 through 2030. In particular, the market size is projected to expand to $1.05 billion (about 1.56 trillion won).
In particular, Russia has been seeing rising preference for Korean ramen thanks to the popularity of K-pop and drama. Last year, Russia's imports of Korean ramen reached $52 million (about 77.3 billion won), up 58% from a year earlier. In response, Nongshim plans to generate results by targeting the mainstream mid- to low-priced segment (70–100 rubles, about 1,300–1,900 won) and the differentiated premium segment (200 rubles or more).
To expand its local sales network in Russia, Nongshim plans to increase product placements at major nationwide distributors (federal chains) such as X5 and Magnit, and to identify leading regional distribution networks. It will also supplement the physical limitations of Russia's vast market with online channels by setting up official brand stores on leading Russian e-commerce platforms such as Ozon and Wildberries. In addition, it will expand touchpoints with local consumers by using Russian social media such as "Vkontakte," Nongshim said.
Products for export to Russia will be produced at the Busan Noksan export-only plant, slated for completion in the second half of this year. In addition to its flagship Shin Ramyun, it will increase supplies of locally favored products such as Neoguri and Kimchi Ramen, and will also roll out new products including Shin Toomba and kimchi fried noodles.
A Nongshim official said, "Through the Russian subsidiary, we will expand Nongshim's territory to not only Russia but also the CIS and achieve $30 million in subsidiary sales by 2030."