KOREAN RAMYEON HOT IN JAPAN

[Anchor Lead]

The popularity of Korean packaged ramyeon continues to soar in Japan, the country known to be where Ramyeon originated. With its distinctive spice taking over the tastes of the Japanese people, there are now a number of stores which sell Korean ramyeon and allow customers to taste it just the way they do in Korea.

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This is a Korean grocery store on the outskirts of Osaka, Japan. Shoppers are busy picking their favorite Korean ramyeon products from the shelves.

[Soundbite] "Can you handle the spice?"

They also buy kimchi to go with ramyeon. Then just like in a Korean convenience store, they cook the ramyeon in paper bowls inside the store.

[Soundbite] Miu Shimono(Japanese Resident) : "We don't have a machine like that in Japan. You just press the button to let the machine set the time and water amount. It's so simple and fun that I post it on social media often."

A new Korean grocery store opened right in the middle of downtown Osaka in April. The store offers as many ramyeon brands as in Korea. Instant cup ramyeon accounted for a large part of the Japanese noodle market. But with more people working at home and watching Korean dramas, the popularity of Korean packaged ramyeon continues to soar. Another key to the popularity is the spicy beef broth, unlike the chicken or fish-based broth used in Japanese noodles.

[Soundbite] Tsukusa Awazu, Shunsuke Kawade(Japanese Residents) : "It's spicy and delicious. I went to Korea once and have been eating Korean ramyeon ever since."

Korean ramyeon was rated second in the local taste test and a super spicy stir-fried ramyeon sold more than 10 billion won this year alone. Korea exported 85 billion won's worth of ramyeon to Japan last year, enjoying an annual growth of more than 25%. Korea Agro-fisheries and Food Trade Corporation is helping Korean exporters by organizing local trade shows and publicity centers. The Japanese noodle market is expected to reach seven billion dollars in three years, eventually fueling competition among Korean food manufacturers.