'40th Anniversary' Nongshim Shin Ramyun, a Leading Global K-Food Brand

[2026 Asia Consumer Awards]
Grand Prize Winner: Nongshim

Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, Nongshim's flagship brand Shin Ramyun has established itself as a global brand representing K-food, being sold in over 100 countries worldwide. First introduced in 1986, Shin Ramyun became the top-selling instant noodle in the Korean market in 1991 and has maintained its number one position without interruption for over 30 years, making it the only product to do so in the industry.

Nongshim Shin Ramyun's first global ambassador is the K-pop girl group aespa. Provided by Nongshim.

Shin Ramyun experienced rapid growth from the outset. In its first year of release in 1986, it achieved approximately 3 billion won in sales within just three months, and in 1987, annual sales surpassed 18 billion won. Building on this momentum, Shin Ramyun claimed the top spot in the Korean instant noodle market in 1991 and has retained this status to the present day. Only three products-Samyang Ramen, Ansungtangmyun, and Shin Ramyun-have held the number one position in the Korean instant noodle market for an extended period.

The growth of Shin Ramyun has continued in the global market as well. In 2015, it became the first single brand in the food industry to surpass a cumulative sales total of 10 trillion won, and in 2021, its overseas sales ratio exceeded 50% for the first time. In 2024, Shin Ramyun's domestic and international sales reached 1.34 trillion won, and as of the end of last year, Nongshim estimates that cumulative sales have reached 42.5 billion units.

The competitive edge of Shin Ramyun originates from its "Korean-style spiciness." Unlike the predominantly mild broths that characterized the Korean instant noodle market at the time of its launch, Nongshim introduced a product that combined a rich and spicy beef broth. Through research into the spiciness using chili varieties from across the country and testing over 200 types of noodles, Shin Ramyun set the standard for the spicy noodles preferred by Koreans. Recently, the brand has continued to evolve by expanding its product line to cater to the tastes of global consumers.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.