Culture ministry and Samyang Foods partner to drive tourism via spicy noodles

The culture ministry and Samyang Foods signed a memorandum of understanding on Friday to combine government tourism content with private marketing capabilities aimed at boosting inbound travel. Finalized at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul, the agreement seeks to transform global consumption of the company's spicy instant noodles into actual visits to South Korea by using the product's brand power as a bridge to tourism.

Under the collaboration, the ministry and the food manufacturer will launch large-scale online and offline promotions linking tourism information with product distribution channels. A key component involves consumer events utilizing products equipped with QR codes that provide details on both the noodles and travel destinations.

Specific activities include a tasting event and cultural experience space scheduled for the 2026 Love Korea Festival in Bangkok from August 21 to 23. The organizations also plan to link their official online promotional channels to disseminate diverse travel information to a global audience.

Choi Hwi-young, the minister of culture, sports and tourism, said the government intends to utilize the ripple effect of Korean food in overseas markets as a new driver for attracting foreign tourists. "I hope that the synergy between public tourism content and private marketing expertise would elevate the national brand and establish South Korea as an irreplaceable travel destination for people around the world," he said.