S. Koreans' per capita 'ramyeon' consumption ranks 2nd after Vietnam

South Korea's overall ramyeon consumption reached 4.1 billion units last year, ranking eighth worldwide, while its per person consumption stood at 79.2 in the country of 51.75 million people, according to the Osaka-based World Instant Noodles Association (WINA).

The Korean figure followed Vietnam's 81. The Southeast Asian country, with a population of 100 million, ranked fourth in overall consumption at 8.14 billion units.

Thailand ranked third in terms of per-person consumption at 57, followed by Nepal at 54, Indonesia 52, Japan and Malaysia 47 each, Taiwan 40, the Philippines 39, and China, including Hong Kong, at 31.

Per capita ramyeon consumption tends to be high in Asian countries with traditional noodle-eating cultures. In contrast, the figure remains below 10 in many European countries.

In recent years, South Korea's ramyeon consumption has steadily risen -- from 3.79 billion units in 2021 to 3.95 billion in 2022 and 4.04 billion in 2023.

Last year, global ramyeon consumption climbed 2.4 percent on-year to 123.07 billion units. China, including Hong Kong, topped the list with 43.8 billion units, more than 10 times South Korea's volume.

Ramyeon consumption in Europe remains low, but demand is growing, helped by the global popularity of K-pop and K-food.

Nongshim Co. has released Shin Ramyun products featuring characters from the global hit animated movie "KPop Demon Hunters." Samyang Foods Co., the maker of the world-famous Buldak spicy ramyeon, is also seeing rising demand for its products in overseas markets.

From January to September, South Korea's ramyeon exports jumped 24.7 percent on-year to 1.6 trillion won (US$1.1 billion), according to the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corp. (aT).

It was reported that restaurant chains and food companies are turning to noodles as cost-sensitive consumers are steering clear of rice after a price surge to record highs.