DgcitySouth Korean food maker Samyang used the opening day of the China International Import Expo in Shanghai to begin a 45-day countdown to its first overseas factory, a plant in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province that will also become its first production base in China.
The company is appearing at the import expo for the seventh time, under a banner celebrating its 65th anniversary and its evolution from Korea’s first instant-noodle maker into the producer of Buldak ramen, the fiery chicken-flavored noodles that became a global pantry staple. Buldak, launched in 2012, has surpassed 10 billion packs in cumulative sales and reached consumers in more than 100 countries and regions.
The Jiaxing plant marks a strategic shift from exporting into China to manufacturing there. Samyang established its China headquarters in Shanghai’s Hongqiao business district in 2021 and has since built out product lines ranging from Buldak noodles and hot sauces to soup noodles, jajang noodles and high-protein pasta-style products.
At the booth, executives said China had become a central market for the group’s global business and that local production would allow faster responses to Chinese tastes and retail channels. The display featured flowing LED ribbons and holographic imagery tracing the company’s history, and introduced a new brand mascot, Peppo, aimed at younger shoppers.
New flavors underscored the localization drive. A thick-soup Buldak noodle was launched in China on October 16, pairing the familiar sweet-spicy Korean seasoning with a rich chicken broth and wider four-millimeter noodles. The jajang noodle range was also refreshed in September with two China-oriented versions, including a caramelized spicy black-bean flavor and a seafood edition.
For Chinese diners, Korean instant noodles occupy a curious space between cheap comfort food and trendy snack, often cooked at home, added to army stews or featured in eating-challenge videos. Samyang’s bet is that local production can protect margins and speed up limited editions in a market where taste cycles move quickly.
The company joins a growing list of foreign food groups using the import expo to announce China investments rather than merely import finished goods. The Jiaxing factory is scheduled to begin operations before the end of the year.
