In the 1960s, the ramyeon market in Korea was largely dominated by Samyang Foods Co., Ltd. Their introduction of Samyang Ramyeon on September 15, 1963, laid the foundation for the popularity of instant noodles in Korea. By 1976, Samyang controlled a significant 66.5% market share, leaving Lotte with 33.5%. However, the dynamics changed with Nongshim's entry into the market. After launching Jappaghetti in 1984 and Shin Ramyun in 1986, Nongshim quickly became the leading ramen producer in Korea by 1985. By 1988, Nongshim dominated with a 50.6% market share. By 1988, Nongshim dominated the market with a 50.6% share. Their success was due to the removal of bland flavors and the addition of spicy Korean flavors to ramyeon which were popular with domestic and international consumers.
The leading noodle manufacturer in 2021 was Nongshim Co., Ltd. with sales of KRW 973.9 billion, accounting for 35.5% of the total market share.  It was followed by Ottogi with 15.6% (KRW 427.5 billion), Samyang Foods with 11.2% (KRW 307.8 billion), Paldo with 7.7% (KRW 211 billion), CJ CheilJedang with 2.9% (KRW 78.6 billion), Pulmuone with 2.3% (KRW 62.1 billion), and Noodle Lovers with 2.2% (KRW 60 billion). These noodle companies produce a variety of products, including fried noodles (ramyeon), dry noodles, fresh noodles, frozen noodles, and refrigerated noodles. However, the top companies, which account for 70% of the noodle market, specialize in ramyeon. Ramyeon is the centerpiece of the noodle market.
In 2020, Korea's ramyeon exports reached USD 600 million, and this figure surged to a record USD 670 million in 2021, an increase of 11.7% year-on-year. Remarkably, ramyeon export revenue has been on the rise for seven consecutive years since 2015. In 2017, exports were valued at USD 381 million. The following year, there was an increase of 8.4%, reaching USD 413.09 million. By 2019, the figure had climbed further to USD 467 million, representing a 13.0% growth from the previous year. 2020 saw a significant boost with a 29.2% year-over-year increase to USD 635.7 million. Then, in 2021, there was an increase of 11.7% from 2020 to reach USD 674.4 million.