S.Korea’s Samyang Foods plans $163mn factory in Vietnam: media

According to Business Korea, the Bac Ninh plant project is slated for completion by January 2029.

The facility will have the capacity for up to eight production lines and will become the company's next overseas manufacturing base after its China plant, which is scheduled to begin operations in late 2026.

Samyang was quoted as saying that the investment is aimed at meeting rising global demand for instant noodles while reducing reliance on a single production region amid global economic and geopolitical uncertainties.

Vietnam was selected because of its competitive production costs, particularly for key ingredients such as wheat flour and palm oil.

The company also cited Vietnam's favorable logistics network, geographic location, and trade advantages, allowing the factory to efficiently serve both ASEAN and European markets.

Samyang added that investment costs, operating expenses, and construction procedures in Vietnam are more competitive than those in the United States and Europe.

To implement the project, the company's board of directors approved an investment of 131.1 billion won ($98 million) into a wholly owned subsidiary expected to operate under the name Samyang Foods Bac Ninh LLC.

The expansion comes as international demand for Samyang's Buldak ramen continues to grow.

In the third quarter of 2026, the company reported consolidated revenue of 791.8 billion won ($593 million), up more than 25 percent year on year. Overseas sales reached 660.8 billion won ($495 million), accounting for over 83 percent of total revenue.

In Vietnam, Samyang is best known for its Buldak spicy chicken instant noodles, which typically retail for between VND26,000 ($1) and VND44,000 ($1.7) per pack, depending on flavor and package size.

Vietnam remains one of the world's largest instant noodle markets.

According to the World Instant Noodles Association, Vietnamese consumers ate more than 8.23 billion servings in 2025, ranking fourth globally.

On a per-capita basis, Vietnam had the world's highest instant noodle consumption rate, averaging about 81 servings per person annually.