Samyang Foods' Buldak brand hits 10 billion sales, eyes global expansion with new character

Samyang Foods' globally recognized "Buldak" brand has achieved a monumental milestone, surpassing 10 billion cumulative sales and generating 7 trillion won in revenue since its launch 14 years ago. This remarkable achievement solidifies Buldak's status as a global mega-brand, expanding from its initial export to Japan, Germany, and New Zealand in 2012 to its current presence in approximately 100 countries.

The brand has experienced exponential growth, particularly since reaching 1 billion cumulative sales in 2017. Sales surged to 4 billion in 2022 and 9 billion in 2025, with the latest 10 billion mark being crossed in just the first half of this year. Currently, Buldak sells 2 billion units annually, translating to roughly 63 packets sold every second worldwide.

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Buldak brand's cumulative sales exceeded 10 billion units as of the end of May.

To further propel its global expansion and strengthen its intellectual property, Samyang Foods is introducing a new character named 'Peppo.' Developed by its affiliate Samyang Ani, Peppo is depicted as a chick hatched from an egg laid by 'Hochi,' the original character credited with sparking the "K-Spicy" craze. Peppo embodies the "digital native" generation, adept at using short-form content and digital platforms, positioning the character to lead Buldak's next phase of growth.

Samyang Foods plans to leverage Peppo as a key messenger to broaden the Buldak brand's territory beyond food into digital content, merchandise, and other aspects of global consumers' daily lives. Domestically, new Buldak packaging featuring Peppo will be rolled out starting this month, initially on the Buldak sauce and subsequently across the Buldak stir-fried noodle series, including original and carbonara flavors. This strategic move aims to solidify the brand's foundation for continued growth in the international market.

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Peppo is a chick hatched from an egg laid by Hochi, possessing the authenticity and symbolism of the Hochi character that spread the 'K-Spicy' craze.