What was South Korea's first instant ramen brand, launched on 15 September 1963?

South Korea's first instant ramen brand, launched on 15 September 1963, was Samyang Ramen.

Samyang Foods introduced the product during a period when South Korea was seeking inexpensive, convenient foods. Its launch helped establish instant noodles as a major part of Korean food culture, and the brand remains one of the country's best-known ramen names.

The date is sometimes confused with Samyang Foods' founding in 1961, or with later products such as Shin Ramyun and Neoguri. Those brands became important in later decades, but neither was South Korea's first instant ramen product. Jin Ramen is also a later Ottogi brand, not the 1963 pioneer.

Samyang Ramen should also not be confused with the company's later Buldak line, whose spicy noodles became internationally famous through social media. Buldak is a separate product family; the historical first is the original Samyang Ramen.