Images shared online show instant noodle products outside Korea that copy Samyang Foods' Buldak branding. Yonhap
Samyang Foods is ramping up efforts to protect trademarks for products under its blockbuster instant noodle brand "Buldak," as fake products mimicking the label proliferate worldwide and disrupt its global market.
The company said Thursday it plans to file for trademark registration of Buldak in English with the Korean Intellectual Property Office within the month. It previously attempted to trademark the brand’s Korean name, but authorities ruled in 2008 that the term was a widely used common noun and therefore ineligible for trademark protection.
With more than 80 percent of its sales coming from overseas markets since 2024, Samyang Foods said securing the English trademark will help establish Buldak’s originality against copycat products that replicate its packaging design and brand name.
“Without registering Buldak’s trademark here, it will be difficult for us to assert our rights outside Korea. Once the English name is listed among trademarks in Korea, we will have greater leverage in responding legally to rising trademark infringement cases worldwide,” Park Joong-seok, head of public relations at Samyang Foods, said.
Since its launch in 2012, Buldak products have sold more than 8 billion units worldwide. In 2025, Samyang Foods’ annual sales exceeded 2 trillion won ($1.4 billion) for the first time, driven by strong global demand for the spicy noodles, which come in an expanding range of flavors.
The brand’s popularity has also spawned imitations with striking similarities. Counterfeit products have been confirmed in China, Saudi Arabia, Russia and the United States, as well as parts of Europe and Africa. Some packages feature deceptive elements, including altered manufacturer names like “Sayning” and brand names like “Boodak” or look-alike chicken mascots.
Vice Chairwoman Kim Jung-soo said at a town hall meeting with President Lee Jae Myung last month that the company has registered about 500 Buldak-related trademarks in 88 countries and is engaged in legal disputes in 27 of them. She emphasized that government support is essential for protecting Korean brand's trademarks in global consumer markets.
Source: Korea Times News
