Ottogi says chicken-kalguksu ramen sales rose 40% in first month
In short
Ottogi said its “동대문식 닭한마리 칼국수” instant noodle, launched in July, saw its August sales rise 40% within a month, helped by interest from foreign tourists visiting South Korea. The company said the product ranked first in sales among all bagged ramen, including rival products, at Lotte Mart’s Zeta Flex Seoul Station branch in August. The store is described as drawing high demand from travellers using the Airport Railroad and KTX.
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Ottogi said its “동대문식 닭한마리 칼국수” instant noodle, launched in July, recorded a 40% increase in August sales within one month of release, helped by interest from foreign tourists visiting South Korea, the company said on Oct. 6. [ 2 ]
In August the product ranked first in sales among all bagged ramen, including products from other companies, at Lotte Mart’s Zeta Flex Seoul Station branch, according to Yonhap and the Newsis headline. That branch is described as a location with high demand from tourists using the Airport Railroad and KTX. Ottogi said it believes the response came from reproducing the taste of Dongdaemun dakhanmari as an instant noodle. [ 1 , 2 ]
An Ottogi official said the company “will continue various activities” to present the product’s appeal to tourists interested in Korean local food and K-food. [ 2 ]
Why it matters
The figures are a single product release from one company, so they indicate demand for Korean local-dish flavours among inbound tourists rather than a wider market trend. The store cited, Lotte Mart Zeta Flex Seoul Station, is described as a transit-hub outlet used heavily by travellers, which the coverage links to tourist purchasing. Beyond that, the documents give no basis for broader significance.
Key facts
- Ottogi launched the “동대문식 닭한마리 칼국수” instant noodle product in July, according to the company. [ 2 ]
- Ottogi said August sales of the product rose 40% in one month. [ 2 ]
- The company said the product ranked first in bagged ramen sales, including other companies’ products, at Lotte Mart Zeta Flex Seoul Station in August. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Ottogi attributed the response to reproducing the taste of Dongdaemun dakhanmari as an instant noodle. [ 2 ]
- The Seoul Station branch was described as drawing high demand from tourists using the Airport Railroad and KTX. [ 2 ]
- An Ottogi official said the company would continue various activities to show the product to tourists interested in Korean local food and K-food. [ 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- The 40% month-on-month sales increase is the company’s own figure. Only one outlet reports the number and it comes from Ottogi itself; no independent sales data is given.
- The Newsis item’s feed headline concerns the Ottogi noodle product, but its article text deals with an unrelated judiciary matter. The text that could be read does not describe this event, so specifics could only be taken from the headline and from the Yonhap report.
- The documents do not give total sales volumes or revenue for the product. Only a percentage change and a store-level ranking are provided.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Newsis publishes a report whose headline says the Ottogi chicken-kalguksu noodle is selling well and ranks first in bagged ramen at Lotte Mart’s Seoul Station branch. [ 1 ]
- Yonhap publishes Ottogi’s announcement that August sales of the product rose 40% in a month and that it topped bagged-ramen sales at the Lotte Mart Zeta Flex Seoul Station branch. [ 2 ]