Riding the Korean Wave: ramyeon's rise to cultural stardom

It's no news that the Korean Wave has swept the globe in recent years, with K-pop and K-dramas garnering immense soft power for South Korea. But what is less discussed is the parallel rise of instant noodles from the country – a global trend that has K-pop and K-dramas to thank for its success, as reported by East Week magazine, a sister publication of The Standard.

According to South Korea's Customs Service, the country's instant noodle exports have surged more than sixfold in the past decade and exceeded HK$12 billion last year, securing its position as the world's top instant noodle vendor.

Among the top buyers are China, whose imports of South Korean instant noodles jumped 47 percent in 2025, and the United States which, despite President Donald Trump's 15 percent tariff on South Korean goods last August, maintains a growing demand for the country's irresistible quick-serve delicacy.

The recipe of success for the industry has one star ingredient: collaboration with major K-pop stars. Nongshim, a South Korean food company known for its iconic Shin Ramyun, released recently an advertisement featuring the beloved K-pop girl group aespa who performs a "Spicy Happiness in Noodles" dance, inspired by noodle-cooking gestures. The video quickly topped 100 million views, breaking Nongshim's advertising record and rousing global appetites for its products.

Another K-pop star snatched up by the industry was BTS member Jin, whose collaboration with food manufacturer Ottogi sold 13 million packs of limited-edition instant noodles, driving a 20 percent boom in overseas sales in the first half of last year – the largest increase seen by the company in a decade.

Besides K-pop, K-dramas have also contributed to transforming the homely act of eating instant noodles into a cultural phenomenon. In the popular series Hospital Playlist, for instance, the process of a character cooking noodles was shown in full, a captivating ritual in its own right.

"Want some ramyeon before you go?" asks Lee Young Ae in the film One Fine Spring Day, insinuating to the male lead her wish to get more intimate. Since then, "eating ramyeon" has become a well-known sexual innuendo, referenced in subsequent K-dramas such as My Love from the Star, and even in real-life courtships.

Beyond celebrity influence, instant noodle brands also deserve credit for broadening the appeal of the convenience food. Many have marketed new ways of cooking it, such as adding milk to the spicy soup base, making it a fun activity as well as catering to more palates.

Just this month, "ramyeon" has officially entered the Oxford English Dictionary, solidifying its status as a worldwide cultural symbol.