"I Want Jjajang Ramen Like BTS"…Ramen Sales Soar Amid K-Content Boom

Jjajangmyeon, a dish commonly enjoyed on 'Black Day (April 14),' has seen its price increase nearly 60 times over the past 50 years, leading to the rising popularity of 'jjajang ramen' as an alternative.

Recently, BTS member V eating jjajang ramen on the tvN variety show ‘Seojin’s Place’ has gone viral worldwide, driving the "globalization of K-snacks."

Jjajangmyeon Price Increased 63 Times

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According to Korea Price Information on the 14th, the average price of a bowl of jjajangmyeon this year is 6,361 won. This is nearly 63 times higher compared to when Korea Price Information first started its survey in 1970 (100 won).

The main cause of the price increase is the rise in the cost of key ingredients. The prices of flour and cooking oil used in jjajangmyeon have risen by 46.9% and 33.2%, respectively, compared to five years ago in 2018. Onions increased by 166.7%, and cucumbers used as garnish jumped by 275%.

As of this month, the wholesale price of 15kg of onions is 22,550 won, three times higher than last year. This is due to reduced harvests caused by droughts in Korea last year and decreased production in the U.S. and other countries due to global abnormal weather conditions.

As a result, jjajangmyeon, considered one of the eight major dining-out items, surpassed 6,000 won for the first time in April last year and has steadily risen to approach the 7,000 won mark.

Ramen Industry Booms Amid Jjajangmyeon Price Rise

[Photo by tvN Entertainment Program 'Seojin's']

The rise in jjajangmyeon prices has also brought prosperity to the ramen industry. In particular, some products have enjoyed a special boom as they have been introduced domestically and internationally through K-content.

Especially, the spicy jjajang ramen that BTS member V enthusiastically ate on a variety show has seen significant effects. Scenes of V eating spicy jjajang ramen during staff meal times were broadcast with captions describing him as a "chopstick maestro."

Samyang Foods engaged in product placement (PPL) for Jjajjaroni, Buldak Bokkeum Myun, and Samyang Ramen on this program. Currently, recipes for spicy jjajang ramen and bul ramen are actively shared on domestic and international SNS and various online communities. Given BTS’s global status, overseas fans’ interest in the "ramen V ate" is explosive.

Earlier, Nongshim also gained word-of-mouth popularity when netizens introduced jjajang ramen on online communities in 2009. After the movie 'Parasite' appeared and won an Academy Award, Nongshim uploaded a video on its YouTube channel introducing the recipe for Chapaguri in 11 languages.

According to the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT) and the Korea Customs Service, ramen export revenue for the first quarter of this year was tentatively recorded at $208 million (approximately 274.9 billion won). This surpassed the previous record of $181.93 million in the first quarter of last year. Ramen export revenue was $50.77 million in the first quarter of 2015 and exceeded $100.7 million in the first quarter of 2018. This year’s first quarter marked a record-breaking milestone by surpassing $200 million after five years.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.