Nongshim said Shin Ramyun, marking its 40th anniversary since launch, will leap from a simple ramen brand to a "cultural icon" representing global K-food and K-culture.
On the 13th at Lotte Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, Nongshim held the "Shin Ramyun 40th anniversary press conference" and unveiled Shin Ramyun's global achievements and future strategy. According to Nongshim, Shin Ramyun's cumulative sales as of last year exceeded 20 trillion won. Cumulative sales volume is about 42.5 billion units.
At the event, Chief Executive Jo Yong-cheol of Nongshim said, "Cumulative sales of 20 trillion won for Shin Ramyun is more than a simple financial achievement; it is a record proving that for the past 40 years we have always been part of consumers' everyday lives around the world," adding, "Shin Ramyun's 40 years is not a moment of completion or stability but a starting point to begin a bigger leap."
He added, "Going forward, Shin Ramyun will, as the standard-bearer of Korea's spicy flavor, deliver value that encompasses taste, health, and cultural experience, and be reborn as the center of K-food that leads global food culture."
Nongshim also outlined how Shin Ramyun grew into a global brand beyond Korea. Since its launch in 1986, Shin Ramyun took the No. 1 spot in Korea's ramen market in 1991 and has kept the top position for 35 years. It is now running brand advertisements at global landmarks such as Times Square in New York and Piccadilly Circus in London, cementing its status as a leading K-food brand.
Nongshim emphasized that about 40% of cumulative sales came from overseas markets. Centering on local production bases in the United States and China, Nongshim has expanded its export network to Japan, Europe, and Australia. Jo said, "By holding more than 7,000 tasting events a year and making active efforts to expand the market, we became the first Korean ramen to enter Walmart and Costco in the United States," adding, "Nongshim's market share in the United States now exceeds 20%."
Jo said, "We will push to raise the share of overseas sales to more than 60% and achieve total sales of 7.3 trillion won and an operating margin of 10% by 2030."
Nongshim also unveiled Shin Ramyun's global brand strategy. Sim Gyu-cheol, head of global marketing at Nongshim, said, "Shin Ramyun embodies Korea's sensibility, Korea's taste, and Korea's language as they are," adding, "Through this, Shin Ramyun has become the benchmark for Korean ramen and a pioneer of K-ramen in the global market."
Nongshim has recently been strengthening experiential marketing linked with K-culture. Last year, it signed the food industry's first global partnership with the Netflix animated film "K-Pop: Demon Hunters" and selected K-pop group aespa as global ambassadors. Sim said, "The first global ad campaign with aespa garnered more than 500 million views worldwide," adding, "This shows Shin Ramyun is becoming a cultural brand representing K-culture, beyond a mere food product."
He added, "The direction Nongshim aims for going forward is to be a global food solution provider," saying, "We will grow into a company that solves taste, health, and cultural experiences within consumers' lives, not just a company that supplies products."
Nongshim will also expand consumer touchpoints by opening an experiential space, "Shin Ramyun Bunsik," in Seongsu-dong, Seoul, in June. Sim said, "Shin Ramyun Bunsik is not simply a place to deliver products but a complex experiential space to connect with friends, family, and colleagues," adding, "It will operate as an antenna shop that combines brand experience with a testing function."
At the event, the new product "Shin Ramyun rosé" was also unveiled. Shin Ramyun rosé adds gochujang's umami, tomato, and cream to Shin Ramyun's signature spiciness and will first launch in Korea and Japan on the 18th. Sales will then expand to global markets. The packet-ramen version is slated for release within June.
Sim said, "It's a product that reinterprets the K-rosé trend beloved by Korean consumers in the Shin Ramyun way," adding, "On a smooth base of tomato and cream, we layered Shin Ramyun's signature spiciness and the umami of gochujang so it can appeal to global consumers with a new charm."