[THE INVESTOR] Korean instant noodle producer Nongshim said Aug. 16 it has started selling its flagship Shin Ramyun at all 4,692 Walmart outlets in the US.

Only a limited number of companies such as Coca-Cola and Nestle sell their products at all Walmart stores. Nongshim is the first Korean company to sign such a contract. 

Shin Ramyun has sold at Walmart stores in big cities like Las Vegas and New York since 1986. The full-scale sale comes after its sales have seen more than 30 percent growth annually over the past five years. 

Currently, Nongshim is the No. 3 instant noodle maker in the US after two Japanese companies Tokyo Suisan and Nissin Foods. Shin Ramyeon sees an annual 700 billion won (US$615.54 million) in annual sales around the world.

Nongshim said it plans to sell Shin Ramyun at some US government offices such as the White House, NASA and the UN headquarters from the latter half of this year. The product is already selling at the Capitol Hill and the Pentagon since last year. 

By Song Seung-hyun (ssh@heraldcorp.com)