Samyang Foods (003230) is building an organization in the United States to discover and develop new brands and products aimed directly at local consumers. The move is seen as an effort to turn Samyang America, until now a sales-only unit, into a forward base for overseas expansion, as the U.S. has surpassed China to become the company's largest overseas market.
Samyang America has recently been working to build a next-generation Innovation Lab, according to food industry sources on the 19th. The organization will carry out every stage locally in the U.S. — from generating new product ideas to research and development, prototyping, consumer testing, test sales and commercialization. Until now, the U.S. unit focused on importing Buldak Bokkeummyeon and other products made in Korea and supplying them to local retailers such as Walmart, Costco and Kroger. Going forward, its role will expand into a base that identifies new products and businesses on its own.
The shift comes as the U.S. share is growing rapidly even within overseas markets, which account for about 80% of Samyang Foods' total revenue. As recently as 2024, revenue at the China unit was 411.1 billion won, more than the 378.7 billion won at the U.S. unit. Last year, however, the U.S. unit posted 595.2 billion won, overtaking the China unit's 580.4 billion won for the first time. In the first half of this year, the gap widened further, with 389.1 billion won in the U.S. against 347.4 billion won in China.
The company is accordingly refining its localization strategy for the U.S. market. The Innovation Lab will develop prototypes using new ingredients and manufacturing technologies, and gauge local demand through its own consumer evaluations. It also plans to introduce market research and virtual consumer testing using generative artificial intelligence, reflecting consumer preferences in product development. Products will then be tested for marketability through direct-to-consumer online sales and at some brick-and-mortar stores, with distribution expanded for those that prove commercially viable.
In particular, the company is looking for new businesses beyond ramen, including health and nutrition foods, to reduce its reliance on its flagship Buldak brand. In May, Samyang Foods filed trademark applications in the U.S. for "CHOSUN NURUNGJI (JOSEON NURUNGJI)," covering designated goods including scorched rice, rice crackers and grain snacks and chips. In June, it filed two applications for "CHIKKIPPI," covering chickpeas and hummus, bean-based convenience foods, tofu patties and snacks, as well as high-protein cereal bars, grain snacks, popcorn, bread, rice cakes, sauces and desserts.
The company is also hiring staff to handle the development and commercialization of better-for-you brands and the validation of new food technologies. Their main work will involve identifying new products using alternative proteins, fermentation and functional ingredients, alongside ready meals and sauces. A Samyang Foods official said, however, that no specific products or launch plans have been confirmed in connection with these trademarks.
Samyang America's role is also expanding beyond the U.S. to the Americas as a whole. The unit has recently been hiring product marketing staff to support new product registrations, package and label localization, and regulatory compliance in Mexico and other Latin American markets. It is also adding staff to design logistics networks and manage third-party logistics operations across Canada, Mexico and Latin America, part of an effort to build the U.S. unit into a hub for business across the Americas.
An industry official said the U.S. has established itself as Samyang Foods' core overseas market, raising the need to identify products suited to local consumers rather than simply bringing Korean products over to sell. The strategy is to use the distribution network and brand recognition secured through Buldak to find the next growth brand and extend it across North America and Latin America, the official said.