"There were many foreigners." The reason behind the 200,000 visitors to the Seongsu-dong hotspot 'Shin Ramyun Bun-sik'...

More than 200,000 people have visited 'Shin Ramyun Bun-sik,' which Nongshim opened in mid-June in Seongsu-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, to mark the 40th anniversary of Shin Ramyun's launch. The shop has become a hotspot in Seongsu-dong and is now a must-visit spot for foreign tourists.

According to industry sources on the 19th, 'Shin Ramyun Bun-sik,' operated by Nongshim and opened on June 16 (operating hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.), saw an average of over 3,500 visitors per day from its opening until the 16th, spanning two months. The total number of visitors reached approximately 217,000, and it is expected that at least 500,000 to 600,000 people will visit before the store closes at the end of November.

The 'Shin Ramyun Bun-sik' consists of a sales area on the first floor and an experience zone on the second floor, covering a total area of approximately 120 pyeong (about 400 square meters). The second-floor experience zone, where visitors can enjoy various Shin Ramyun dishes, is particularly popular. Access to this area requires either reservations or waiting in line at the venue. On-site waits typically last between 30 minutes and an hour. During peak times such as weekend lunch hours when tourists flock there, visitors may need to wait over two hours.

Over the past two months, more than 15,000 items were sold, including menu items developed by Nongshim researchers (such as Shin Ramyun fried rice and Shin Ramyun abura soba), domestic Nongshim ramen that can be tasted using instant noodle cooking machines, and export-exclusive products (like Bokkeum Neoguri and Sun Ramen).

On the first floor, freshly made ramen such as Shin Ramyun, Anseong Tangmyeon, and Neoguri, delivered directly from the factory every week, can be purchased. In addition, visitors can buy planned merchandise including handmade goods, Shin Ramyun special edition sets, T-shirts, umbrellas, and more. This area is especially popular among foreign tourists looking to purchase various souvenirs and gift items.

'Shin Ramyun Bun-sik' is a brand experience space for the Shin Ramyun brand that Nongshim operates in major countries globally. The Seongsu-dong location is the fifth store following those in Peru, Vietnam, Japan, and the United States, and it is the first in Korea. It is promoting the 40th-year-old brand value of Shin Ramyun not only to domestic consumers but also to overseas tourists.

Over the past two months, this location has been introduced through Instagram and various social media platforms, becoming a popular stop for foreign tourists. Approximately 50% of all visitors are Koreans, while the remaining 50% are foreigners, indicating a significant number of international visitors.

Nongshim is operating this store not just as a pop-up shop but as an 'antenna shop' to expand the global fanbase of the Shin Ramyun brand. Through various participatory content provided at Shin Ramyun Bun-sik, Nongshim plans to gather consumer feedback and utilize this data actively for future development of new Shin Ramyun products and marketing strategies.

A Nongshim representative stated, "Shin Ramyun Bun-sik is a space that reinterprets the unique emotional value of traditional Korean snack shops into modern, multi-functional experiential content." They added, "We aim to convey the brand value of Shin Ramyun to the younger generation and foreign tourists visiting Seongsu-dong, listen closely to their on-site feedback, and further strengthen Shin Ramyun's global competitiveness."