Nongshim Pushes Shin Ramyun In Europe

Nongshim CEO Cho Yong-chul (right) and Kim Hyung-seok, head of the European subsidiary (center), attending SIAL Paris. (Provided by Nongshim) The venue of "SIAL Paris 2026," the world’s largest food exhibition held in Paris, France, was filled with the spicy flavor of Korean ramen. Cho Yong-chul, Chief Executive Officer of Nongshim, personally visited the exhibition, which was held from local time on Oct. 17 to 21, and took the lead in targeting the European market. Cho held a series of meetings with executives and buyers from major European distributors, including Germany’s K&K, the Netherlands’ Asia Express Food, France’s T&T Foods, and the U.K.’s Morrisons, to discuss strategic cooperation plans. In particular, he personally introduced "Shin Ramyun Rose," which was unveiled in the European market for the first time, laying the groundwork for expanding local distribution networks. Europe’s distribution industry responded immediately to Nongshim’s new product. Jorn Kraijenhof, head of Germany’s K&K, described "Shin Ramyun Rose" as "a product with high potential that suits European tastes" and disclosed a specific plan to push for its launch in the German market as early as next month. In addition to ramen, Nongshim also pursued export sales of Lifill’s "Dermacollegen Signature RN," a health functional food that won the "SIAL Innovation Selection 2026" award, as part of efforts to expand its business scope. At this year’s exhibition, Nongshim adopted an unusual strategy by operating both an indoor booth and an outdoor plaza cooking booth at the same time. At the outdoor plaza booth, which received cooking approval for the first time in the exhibition’s history, the company served its recently launched "Shin Ramyun Toomba" prepared on the spot. "Shin Ramyun Toomba," which delivers a creamy yet spicy taste, drew strong interest from visitors at the site, creating long lines for tasting. Local consumers also responded enthusiastically. Ilona Sitov from Poland said, "I prefer spicy food, and Shin Ramyun is the best choice," adding, "It is already such a familiar brand that you can easily find Shin Ramyun anywhere in Poland." In line with the exhibition period, Nongshim operated the "Shin Ramyun Bunsik" pop-up store near the Seine in Paris from on Oct. 16 to 18. Cho said, "Having confirmed the high level of interest from local consumers and buyers, we will further strengthen cooperation with our key business partners," adding, "We plan to focus our capabilities on enhancing the brand status of Nongshim and Shin Ramyun in the European market."