Prime Highlight
- Overseas consumers are increasingly seeking authentic Korean flavours, boosting the popularity of dishes like spicy ramyeon and traditional dumplings worldwide.
- Korean restaurants and fine dining establishments, including Michelin-starred venues in New York, are gaining recognition for maintaining original recipes and bold flavours.
Key Facts
- Companies like CJ CheilJedang and Samyang Foods have expanded overseas, with Samyang earning over three-quarters of its revenue from international markets.
- Korean alcohol, including soju and traditional liquors, is also gaining global attention alongside the country’s growing fine dining scene.
Background
Korean cuisine is seeing strong global demand as overseas consumers increasingly seek authentic flavours rather than adapted versions. From spicy ramyeon to traditional dumplings, Korean food brands and restaurants are exporting original tastes, turning “K-food” into a global trend.
Industry experts say the shift marks a clear change from earlier strategies. In the past, Korean food companies softened flavours and adjusted ingredients to suit local tastes. Today, global consumers want the same spicy and bold dishes seen in Korean dramas and social media challenges, pushing brands to keep their original identity.
In New York, one of the world’s toughest food markets, Korean cuisine has gained new status. Restaurants such as Oksang-dong Sik, known for its Korean-style pork soup, have drawn long lines despite offering menus unchanged from Korea. The restaurant, which expanded to Manhattan in 2022, was later named by The New York Times as one of the city’s best dishes.
Korean fine dining has also gained recognition. Thirteen Korean restaurants in New York now hold Michelin stars. Atomix, a two-star restaurant, ranked fourth among The New York Times’ “100 Best Restaurants in New York 2024,” showing Korean food’s strong position in high-end dining.
Korean food companies are also performing well overseas. CJ CheilJedang’s Bibigo Mandu leads the US dumpling market by offering Korean-style dumplings as a healthy, balanced meal. The company kept increasing its overseas food sales through 2024.
Samyang Foods’ Buldak spicy ramyeon is trending online, as people around the world enjoy its intense heat. More than three-quarters of Samyang’s revenue now comes from overseas sales.
Korean alcohol is also gaining attention, with soju brands and traditional liquors featured alongside Korean fine dining. Government surveys show awareness and satisfaction with Korean food are steadily increasing worldwide, reinforcing its growing global influence.
