"2026 Seoul Nongshim Ramen Popularity Map"... Shin Ramyun Tops 15 Districts

Chapagetti Takes Top Spot in Six Districts Including Yangcheon-gu

Shin Ramyun Gold and Tumba Rank First and Second at Large Supermarkets in Jung-gu

According to Nongshim's analysis of POS sales (customer purchases) data for Nongshim ramen at large supermarkets and SSMs (Super Supermarkets) in all 25 districts of Seoul during the first half of this year, Shin Ramyun ranked first overall.

On July 29, Nongshim announced the "Seoul Nongshim Ramen Popularity Map" after conducting an in-depth analysis of actual sales data for Nongshim ramen throughout Seoul. Nongshim analyzed consumers' brand choices by region and distribution channel, reflecting Seoul's characteristics where population composition, housing types, and commercial zone features vary greatly from one district to another.

Shin Ramyun also demonstrated its outstanding brand power by ranking first in 15 out of Seoul’s 25 major districts based on combined sales at large supermarkets in the first half of this year. In approximately 70% of the 22 districts with large supermarkets, Shin Ramyun was the top-selling ramen. On a city-wide basis, Shin Ramyun also ranked first among all Nongshim ramen products. The top sellers that followed were Chapagetti, Spicy Neoguri, Shin Ramyun Gold, Ansungtangmyun, Yukgaejang Cup Noodles, Baehongdong Bibimmen, Shin Ramyun Cup, Baehongdong Makguksu, and Shin Ramyun Black.

At large supermarkets in six districts—Yangcheon-gu, Nowon-gu, Seongbuk-gu, Seongdong-gu, Yongsan-gu, and Gwangjin-gu—Chapagetti surpassed Shin Ramyun to become the best-selling Nongshim ramen. Yangcheon-gu and Nowon-gu have traditionally had many family households centered around large apartment complexes. According to the National Statistical Portal, as of 2024, households with two or more members accounted for 71.7% in Yangcheon-gu—the highest among all districts—and 67.3% in Nowon-gu, both higher than the Seoul city average of 60.1%. Seongbuk-gu, Yongsan-gu, Seongdong-gu, and Gwangjin-gu are regions densely packed with universities, business districts, and commercial facilities, resulting in a relatively higher proportion of young adults in their populations. As of last month, the average proportion of residents aged 20–39 in these four districts was 30.9%, above the Seoul average of 29.1%.

Nongshim analyzed that in areas with many family households, Chapagetti is chosen for weekend or special meals, while in districts with a large youth population in their 20s and 30s, sales are influenced by demand for "modisumer" recipes that involve experimenting with various ingredients and combinations.

In Jung-gu, products under the Shin Ramyun brand developed for global markets—Shin Ramyun Gold and Shin Ramyun Tumba—ranked first and second, respectively. Though Shin Ramyun Gold ranked fourth overall in Seoul, it placed first in Jung-gu, and Shin Ramyun Tumba, which did not make Seoul's overall top 10, came in second in Jung-gu. The large supermarkets in Jung-gu serve as both grocery stores for local residents and shopping hubs for foreign tourists visiting Myeong-dong, Namdaemun, Dongdaemun, and Seoul Station to purchase K-food products. According to Korea Tourism Organization statistics, about 4.5 million foreign tourists visited Myeong-dong in Jung-gu during the first half of last year, the highest among Seoul’s major tourist attractions.

The fact that both products ranked at the top in Jung-gu reflects the consumer tendency of foreign tourists to purchase products as K-food souvenirs that combine familiar flavors with a distinctly Korean spiciness.

Unlike the large supermarkets, where each district had a different top-selling brand, SSMs showed consistent results. In all SSMs across the 25 districts of Seoul, Shin Ramyun was the best-selling Nongshim ramen. Nongshim analyzed that SSM shoppers tend to choose familiar and well-established products over exploring new flavors; thus, Shin Ramyun’s brand awareness and universal popularity as an everyday food item led it to rank first in every district.

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