By Choi Jinwoo and Hong Angie
Photos = Hong Angie 

Ramyun Library is a growingly popular tourist spot in Seoul amid the fame of ramyeon (instant noodles) as a soul food for Koreans that is spreading worldwide. This convenience store offers the country's biggest selection of the food.

Two Korea.net staff writers on March 18 visited the venue dedicated to the noodles at the Hongdae Sangsang branch of the convenience store chain CU in the Seogyo-dong neighborhood of Seoul's Mapo-gu district. Here, a huge variety of some 230 kinds of ramyeon awaits.

Entering the store shows unique scenery similar to a panorama. Like a library, a massive ramyeon showcase occupies one wall with 110 compartments and measuring 6 m wide and 2.5 m high. Filling the spaces were eye-catching colorful packets of instant noodles.

Along with tables to sample cup ramyeon, separate displays featured 120 varieties of such noodles beside the refrigerated food section.

At Ramyun Library, customers can prepare the food themselves with the ramyeon cooking machines seen at markets along the Hangang River of Seoul in Korean movies, entertainment programs and dramas.

"We sell an average of over 800 ramyeon packs per day," said Hwang-Bo Min, merchandiser for CU's parent company BGF Retail. "Ramyeon accounts for around 20% of this store's sales."

Regular cup ramyeon often accounts for 80% of the item's sales at domestic convenience stores, but close to 77% of ramyeon sold at the Ramyun Library are in packets.

Given that the library is a must-visit tourist spot in the country, foreign customers account for 70%-75% of ramyeon sales there, mostly from Asia and English-speaking countries such as China, Japan, Vietnam and the U.S.

"Ramyeon in Korea has gone beyond food to become a product for foreign visitors," Hwang-Bo said with a smile. "Just as foreign visitors buy souvenirs representing a region, products of the brand Seoul Ramyeon (of the Seoul Metropolitan Government) displayed at the store have been sold out."

A differentiated strategy of the library is to sell not only Korean ramyeon hard to get overseas but also foreign versions difficult to find in Korea. To help foreign customers choose, items are ranked based on monthly sales and spiciness is ranked from one to five.

Instructions for using instant ramyeon cooking machines are in English, Chinese and Japanese for added convenience for such customers.


"Ramyun Library's popularity is heating up on social media in the U.S.," said Poliana Landim, a Brazilian-born YouTuber based in Florida. "It's a very appealing place for easily finding diverse spicy ramyeon."

"I love ramyeon so much that I could eat it every day," said Chinese tourist Zhou Yiyun, who visited Korea to see K-pop star Baekhyun in concert. "Ramyeon in China tends to taste salty but it's sweet here and hits different.“

The country's ramyeon exports last year rose 24.4% from 2022 to USD 952 million, their ninth straight record-breaking year, making the food an icon of Korean culture rather than just a single meal.

Korea.net's cool tips for visiting Ramyun Library #Making delicious ramyeon First, purchase a container separate from the ramyeon desired and put the latter's contents into the container. Scan the container's barcode on the instant ramyeon cooker and press the start button. #Recommendations to enhance flavor The wide variety of toppings for ramyeon at Ramyun Library include a raw egg, kimchi and sliced cheese. Another tip is to purchase and serve toppings together according to individual preference. #Bigger savings through bulk buying Buying more than five bags of ramyeon regardless of brand gets a 50% discount on the purchase amount. This offer is available only at CU's Hongdae Sangsang branch.

paramt@korea.kr / shong9412@korea.kr