“I have a special product I want to show you today,” said a man on Instagram Live, who introduced himself as a grocery store owner in Cairo, Egypt. Holding up what appeared to be a pack of Buldak Ramen, a popular South Korean brand of spicy stir-fried instant noodle produced by Samyang Foods, he enthusiastically promoted it as “real Buldak Ramen imported directly from Korea.”
The red lettering on the packaging unmistakably resembled Buldak Ramen, and the product’s character mascot, Hochi, was also clearly visible. He repeatedly tapped his index finger on the word “Korea” and the Korean flag printed on the packaging.
But upon closer inspection, subtle differences stood out. Instead of the Samyang Foods logo, “BINGOONE” was printed on the package. Below the product name, Arabic text appeared in an awkward font. The product was a copycat—a counterfeit product mimicking Buldak Ramen.
As Korean food grows in popularity, copycat versions of well-known Korean food brands are popping up worldwide, with some deceiving consumers and threatening brand reputations with low-quality products.
Fake versions of Samyang’s Buldak Ramen have recently been sold in China, Southeast Asia, Russia and North Africa, according to ChosunBiz on March 20.
Buldak Ramen is one of Korea’s leading instant noodle brands, with overseas sales surpassing domestic sales since 2017. The product’s immense popularity has recently driven Samyang Foods’ stock price past 900,000 won. The company initially expanded into China by partnering with e-commerce giant JD.com, where Buldak Ramen gained a massive following. The brand has since become a major export success, offsetting a sluggish domestic market.
However, the brand’s success also sparked a wave of counterfeit products. In China, imitation products flooded the market, copying the original product’s packaging and branding. More recently, a product called “Bul Ramyun” has emerged as a bestseller on Yandex, Russia’s largest online marketplace. The product’s packaging closely resembles Buldak Ramen, featuring similar characters and imagery.
Among the many copycat products, the BINGOONE brand goes to great lengths to appear legitimate. These knockoffs display misleading halal certification marks, HACCP certification logos and even Korean text stylized to resemble the Korean flag. However, the authenticity of these certifications is unclear, as the manufacturer provides no detailed information about the manufacturer, ingredients, or production process. The only clue is a label on the back reading “Made in China (PRC),” which suggests it came from unverified facilities in China. The BINGOONE products are sold in various markets, including Hong Kong, Indonesia, Egypt, and multiple African countries.
Fake products are not limited to Buldak Ramen. In Vietnam and Thailand, the rising popularity of Korean soju brands like Chamisul has led to a surge in copycat soju products sold at prices 30% lower than the original. In China, CJ CheilJedang’s Beksul sugar has been imitated and marketed as “white sugar imported from Korea” with nearly identical packaging. Even beef seasoning products have been copied and sold as “premium beef powder from Korea.”
Experts warn that these copycats, often made by unregistered or lesser-known manufacturers, are generally of lower quality. With unclear ingredient sourcing and manufacturing processes, these fake products can pose health risks, potentially causing side effects such as headaches or stomach issues.
The counterfeit problem is expected to intensify as Korean food continues to gain traction worldwide. According to a Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry report, Korea’s food exports reached $7.02 billion last year, double the figure from 2015, with instant noodles accounting for the largest share at 20%.
South Korea’s response to counterfeiting remains relatively weak compared to the U.S. and the European Union, which have stricter intellectual property enforcement and international cooperation systems. “The damage caused by counterfeit products extends beyond financial losses as it can tarnish the reputation of an entire category of K-food,” said Sohyung Kim, a consultant at Davis & Company. “The government must take stronger measures to address this growing problem.”
