Samyang Foods has promoted Kim Jung-soo to chairman effective June 1, formalizing her leadership after years guiding the company’s global turnaround. A former homemaker who joined the firm during the 1998 financial crisis, Kim led development of the wildly popular Buldak Bokkeum Myun (spicy stir-fried chicken noodles) in 2012 after spotting long queues at a Myeongdong (popular Seoul shopping district) chicken stall. Despite early criticism that the product was "too spicy," she kept the brand’s bold identity. Viral "fire noodle challenge" videos on YouTube helped Buldak become a K-food global hit, transforming Samyang from a domestic player into an export-led company with around 80% of sales now from overseas and cumulative Buldak sales exceeding 9 billion units. Under her tenure, revenue climbed from about 64.2 billion won in 2021 to 2.35 trillion won last year and operating margin rose to 22%. Observers say her promotion signals a shift from bloodline succession to performance-based leadership as Samyang doubles down on regionalized strategies, new international plants, and stronger global supply chains.
