Samyang Foods Partners with South Korean Government to Turn Buldak Noodle Fame Into Tourism
Key Takeaways
- •Samyang Foods signed an MOU with South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to jointly promote the country as a travel destination using the Buldak brand's global popularity.
- •The signing ceremony was held at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul, where both parties committed to developing a combined tourism marketing model.
- •An initial campaign will feature QR codes on product packages that link consumers' travel experiences to the Samyang brand.
- •Samyang Foods will participate in the 2026 Love Korea culture and tourism festival in Bangkok from August 21 to 23, offering product tastings to attendees.
- •The two partners will also run joint campaigns through their respective official online channels to share information about Korean tourism.
- •The partnership forms part of a wider government effort to boost inbound tourism by leveraging public-private collaborations with recognizable consumer brands.
Samyang Foods has signed a memorandum of understanding with South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to jointly promote the country as a travel destination, leveraging the worldwide popularity of its Buldak spicy noodle brand to attract international visitors.
The partnership reflects a broader government push to boost inbound tourism by capitalizing on the global rise of Korean cultural exports — from K-pop and K-dramas to K-food — as part of national efforts to grow the visitor economy. South Korea has increasingly turned to public-private collaborations with recognizable consumer brands to extend the reach of its tourism campaigns beyond traditional advertising channels.
A signing ceremony took place at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul, where both parties agreed to develop a tourism marketing model that combines Samyang Foods' global promotional reach with the government's existing tourism content.
"With K-food continuing its global momentum, we hope this partnership will contribute to introducing our culture and country to tourists visiting Korea," said Samyang Foods CEO Kim Jung-soo.
The agreement centers on Samyang's flagship Buldak line, which has built a substantial international fanbase around its signature spicy flavor. The product gained widespread visibility through social media challenges and viral content, helping Samyang expand its export footprint across multiple continents. The company said it aims to use Buldak as a bridge to convert Korean food experiences abroad into actual tourist visits to South Korea.
To increase visibility, Samyang Foods and the Culture Ministry plan to conduct both online and offline promotional activities, merging government informational content with Samyang's branded material. An initial campaign will allow consumers to scan QR codes printed on product packages, linking their travel experiences with the Samyang brand.
Samyang Foods will also participate in the upcoming Korean culture and tourism festival "2026 Love Korea," scheduled to be held in Bangkok from August 21 to 23, where the company will offer product tastings.
In addition, the two partners will use their respective official online channels to run joint campaigns sharing information about various aspects of Korean tourism.