'Buldak-bokeum-myeon'
Samyang Foods announced on Aug. 1 that its Hot Chicken Flavor Ramen, or Buldak-bokeum-myeon, broke the milestone of 4 billion cumulative sales. One in two people around the world ate the spicy instant noodle once.
The hot stir-fried instant noodle was launched in 2012 and became famous through the Fire Noodle Challenge. The company introduced various versions, including Carbo Buldak Noodles and Jajang Buldak Noodles. The product reached 100 million cumulative sales in 2014, 1 billion in 2017, 2 billion in 2019, and 3 billion in 2021. It reached four billion in one year after achieving three billion.
Samyang Foods achieved US$100 million in exports in 2017, US$200 million in 2018, and US$300 million in 2020, and is expected to reach US$400 million this year. The company's best-selling ramen is currently being exported to more than 90 countries.
Samyang Foods has been implementing several global projects to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the launch of the Buldak-bokeum-myeon this year. In April, it participated in a BTS concert in Las Vegas as the main sponsor. In May, it participated in KPOP.FLEX in Frankfurt 2022, Europe’s largest K-pop festival held in Germany.
Recently, Samyang Foods also held SNS Short Form Challenge in Korea, China, and Asian countries. Nearly 100,000 consumers participated in the #BornTobeSpicy challenge using SNS channels. Videos in SNS Short Form Challenge reached a total of 700 million views, creating a unique short form challenge play culture.