Nongshim CEO vows to make Shin Ramyun 'the face of K-food'

Nongshim participated in the 2026 K-EXPO Mexico — also known as the Mexico K-Expo — held in Mexico City from Thursday to Sunday (local time).

The Mexico K-Expo is a hallyu trade fair organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and hosted by the Korea Creative Content Agency. Nongshim was the only domestic ramyun company to take part in the event.

The company ran a Shin Ramyun booth themed around "Shinverse," a brand universe built around the Shin Ramyun identity. A photo zone featuring aespa — the brand ambassador with strong popularity in Mexico — drew particular attention from visitors.

Also popular were a Han River-style ramyun cooker where visitors could enjoy freshly prepared Shin Ramyun and Shin Ramyun Toomba on the spot, and a stamp tour program offering expo-exclusive merchandise.

During the expo, Nongshim held business meetings with major local retail partners. With Sam's Club, a global retailer operating more than 170 stores in Mexico, the company agreed to place Shin Ramyun and Shin Ramyun Toomba large-bowl products on shelves before year-end, with sales set to begin in early 2027. Nongshim also plans to expand its product lineup at Sam's Club to include Shin Ramyun Rosé and Shin Ramyun Kimchi Stir-fry Noodles.

With Soriana, a major Mexican retail chain, Nongshim agreed to run a dedicated shelf section for its products to coincide with "Buen Fin" — Mexico's equivalent of Black Friday — in November. The two sides also agreed to introduce Shin Ramyun Rosé at Soriana in early 2027, and Nongshim said it will continue pushing to add its stir-fry noodle lineup, including Shin Ramyun Kimchi Stir-fry Noodles.

The expo appearance carries significant weight as Nongshim looks to consolidate its position in Mexico, which has emerged as a key export market for K-ramyun. With Latin American markets on a growth trajectory, the company said it will focus its export expansion efforts on Mexico as a geographic gateway to the region.

Nongshim Chief Executive Jo Yong-cheol attended the event in person. "Shin Ramyun has firmly established itself not merely as a food product but as a cultural product representing K-culture," Jo said. "Through this Mexico K-Expo, we were able to sincerely convey Shin Ramyun's brand value — 'Spicy Happiness In Noodles' — to people around the world."

Jo added that the company would "more aggressively expand distribution channels in key markets worldwide to grow Shin Ramyun into the flagship brand of K-food," and said Nongshim is committed to raising its overseas sales share to more than 60 percent by 2030, achieving sales of 7.3 trillion won ($5.4 billion) and an operating profit margin of 10 percent.