SEOUL, September 18 (AJP) - The challenge of slurping fiery-hot ramyeon is nothing new. But when a chart-topping K-pop trio does it in a Netflix hit that becomes the platform's most-watched animated film, the sales surge – and stock rally – for Korean snack makers can be staggering.
Instant noodle giant Nongshim, featured as a motif in "KPop Demon Hunters," closed Thursday at 481,500 won ($347), up 24.6 percent from a year ago. Nearly 30 percent of that jump came in just the past month.
The windfall stems from the film's breakout success, where the girl group devours steaming bowls of Shin Ramyun and munches on shrimp snacks before rushing to battle demons and stage a stadium concert. Nongshim sold 6,000 limited-edition Shin Ramyun packs featuring film characters in just 100 seconds on its online store last month, while themed packaging for Shin Ramyun and Shrimp Crackers is now rolling out across North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia.
The halo effect has extended to Samyang Foods, maker of the viral "Hot Chicken" noodles. Its shares soared to 1,585,000 won this month, tripling from 517,000 won a year earlier, with a 15.1 percent gain in the last month alone as the "Spicy Noodle Challenge" found new life in the Demon Hunters craze.
"Samyang has already been strong, but Nongshim was relatively weaker in marketing despite its overseas plants and distribution networks. The film did the magic," said Kim Jin-woo, analyst at Eugene Investment & Securities. "The real boost will come when the exact products shown in the film hit the shelves, not just character-branded packaging."
The craze underscores how Korean instant noodles – once overshadowed by Japanese ramen – have become a cultural export in their own right. Korea's ramyeon exports hit $1.25 billion in 2024, surpassing the previous year's $952 million in just 10 months, according to the agriculture ministry. The U.S. is now the top buyer, with imports up 70 percent last year to $215.6 million, helping push total Korean agri-food exports to the U.S. to a record $1.59 billion, ahead of China and Japan.
"The anime is packed with Korean cultural elements, which feed global interest and cravings for Korean products. This can only spark more demand for snacks," Kim added.
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