SEOUL, July 09 (AJP) - South Korea’s leading instant noodle exporters, Samyang Foods and Nongshim, are expected to post robust second-quarter earnings, buoyed by growing overseas demand and a favorable currency rate.
According to analyst consensus, Samyang Foods is projected to report 542.6 billion won ($395 million) in revenue for the April–June period, a 27.9 percent increase from the same period last year.
Operating profit is forecast to rise 43 percent to 127.9 billion won, setting a new quarterly record and surpassing the previous high of 529 billion won in the first quarter.
Following its milestone of exceeding 1 trillion won in annual sales for the first time in 2023, Samyang now appears on pace to cross that threshold within just the first half of this year.
The company's rapid ascent has been fueled by its aggressive expansion into international markets. Its overseas sales ratio climbed from 57 percent in 2020 to 77 percent in 2024 and reached 80 percent in the first quarter of 2025.
Samyang has made significant inroads into mainstream retail channels across the United States, Europe and Latin America, while also diversifying its exports to include sauces alongside its signature spicy ramen offerings.
Nongshim is also expected to show signs of recovery after a softer first quarter. The company is projected to post 905.6 billion won in revenue for the second quarter, a year-on-year increase of 5.2 percent, with operating profit forecast to rise 16.5 percent to 50.9 billion won.
The upbeat projections come amid rising global appetite for Korean instant noodles, particularly among younger consumers seeking bold flavors and convenient meals. While domestic growth has matured, industry leaders are increasingly focused on export markets as key engines of long-term growth.
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