The city of Gumi in Gyeongbuk Province, home to a population of 400,000, witnessed an impressive surge in visitors during the “2025 Gumi Ramen Festival.” Over three days starting on the 7th, 350,000 tourists flocked to the event, surpassing last year’s total of 170,000 by more than double and setting a new record for the highest attendance at a single festival in the city. The event marked its fourth edition this year, with organizers expressing satisfaction with the overwhelming turnout.
At the festival, attendees had access to a variety of unique ramen dishes. A total of 25 different types of ramen were available at the “Ramen Restaurant” booths, featuring freshly fried ramen combined with local agricultural products. Among the most popular options were Gumi Hanwoo Pabulgogi Kimchi Ramen, Red Crab Ramen, and Whole Squid Seafood Ramen. These dishes sold 54,000 bowls, generating revenue of 600 million Korean won.
In addition to the fresh ramen, packaged ramen also proved to be a hit. Over the three-day festival, 480,000 packages of ramen were sold, including 120,000 units of the KPop Demon Hunters edition. This generated 360 million Korean won in revenue. Tourists could be seen lining up for about 200 meters to purchase packages containing well-known brands like Nongshim Shin Ramyun, Japagetti, and Ansung Tangmyeon, which were sold in transparent vinyl bags for around 20,000 Korean won each.
Tourists carrying vinyl bags filled with ramen were a common sight throughout the festival grounds. Kim Hyunji, a 24-year-old from Daegu, shared her experience: “Buying five packages of the same product at a local mart is expensive, but the bag package was cheaper than expected and convenient to carry, so I purchased it immediately.”
Gumi City attributed the large crowd to the popularity of the KPop Demon Hunters series and the growing international appeal of Korean ramen. Additionally, the implementation of a QR code-based ordering system helped reduce waiting times and increase table turnover, allowing the festival to accommodate more visitors.
During the festival, various participatory programs themed around KPop Demon Hunters provided entertainment. These included the “KPop Demon Hunters Noodle Challenge,” where participants imitated the main characters eating cup ramen in one bite; singing along to “Golden,” a song from the series that topped the Billboard charts; and the “Saja Boys Random Play Dance,” where tourists mimicked the dance of the Saja Boys, the antagonist idol group from the series.
The Gumi Ramen Festival was first held in 2022 by Gumi City, which previously lacked a representative local festival. The event capitalized on the fact that 75% of the nation’s Shin Ramyun is produced at the Nongshim factory in Gumi 1st Industrial Complex. In its inaugural year, only 10,000 people attended, but the numbers grew steadily: reaching 100,000 the following year, 170,000 last year, and finally 350,000 this year.
Gumi Mayor Kim Jang-ho expressed his satisfaction with the festival’s success, stating, “This year’s festival achieved the best results in history by integrating industry, culture, and tourism through familiar themes.” He added, “We will develop the Gumi Ramen Festival into a nationally representative food festival enjoyed by people around the world.”