It begins with a single, tear-inducing bite of searing red sauce in kitchens from Bangkok to Brooklyn. Now, Korean government officials are betting that the global obsession with Buldak Spicy Ramen — the dangerously spicy instant noodle that conquered the internet — can lure those same adventurous eaters straight off their couches and onto flights to Seoul. To turn that viral culinary obsession into real-world arrivals, the government is joining forces directly with the company behind the fiery noodles. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism signed a partnership Friday with Samyang Foods — the manufacturer behind the viral Buldak Spicy Ramen phenomenon — to transform the product’s massive global footprint into a gateway for inbound tourism. Under the agreement finalized at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul, the government will pair its promotional cultural assets with Samyang’s vast international retail distribution network. The collaboration represents a novel push to use corporate K-food marketing for public diplomacy. Rather than relying sole