Wonju Mayor Koo Ja-yeol visits Samyang Foods for an on-site meeting with company executives.
Wonju Mayor Koo Ja-yeol visits Samyang Foods for an on-site meeting with company executives.

Wonju Mayor Koo Ja-yeol said Friday he would listen closely to the concerns of Samyang Foods and work to resolve them so the company can grow further as a global enterprise.

Koo made the remarks during an on-site meeting at Samyang Foods, a leading local company, where he met with Chief Executive Kim Dong-cha and other executives. "I will do my utmost to create a business-friendly environment so that Samyang Foods and other local companies can continue to grow and drive regional development," he added.

The meeting was held as part of the city's "Business Difficulties Resolution Team" outreach initiative. Officials gathered to hear directly about Samyang Foods' export operations and the challenges it faces in the global market — particularly as the company leads the push to expand K-food's presence overseas — and to explore ways to address those hurdles.

Founded in 1961, Samyang Foods has grown into one of South Korea's leading food companies on the strength of products such as its Buldak Bokkeum Myeon spicy chicken noodles. The company's Wonju factory serves as a key hub for its export operations.

Samyang Foods posted consolidated sales of 770.3 billion won ($576 million) and operating profit of 176.2 billion won in the second quarter, with overseas sales reaching 645.8 billion won — about 84 percent of total sales — reflecting continued momentum in global markets.

Samyang Foods and Wonju city officials discussed a range of measures to support shared growth, including expanding local hiring, strengthening export competitiveness and fostering closer ties with the community.


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