Anchor: South Korea is home to some 55-thousand convenience stores nationwide. Thanks to these 24-hour establishments, instant foods like ramen, gimbap, banana milk, and drink pouches with ice cups have become go-to snacks. For visitors from overseas, these stores have become social media hotspots. KBS World Radio visited a popular convenience store in Seoul to find out why they’re getting so much global attention.
David Lee has more.

Report: 

[Nat Sound: Foreign customers walk into Ramyun Library]

In the touristy central Seoul neighborhood of Hongdae, a major convenience store chain has a special themed branch called the Ramyun Library. 

The store has caught the attention of passers-by for its massive inventory, which includes over 220 types of ramen, and for its tables shaped like giant cup noodles. 

Once inside, visitors can choose from a diverse array of extras to add to their noodles and use an electric induction cooker to make so-called Hangang ramen. 

While in South Korea for a K-pop concert starring J-Hope of BTS, Shiena from the Philippines made a stop at the store for some customized instant noodles.  

[Sound bite: Shiena Dimauanhan – Filipina tourist]
“I’m adding eggs, cheese, the seaweed and a hot dog.”
“I think there are a lot of specialty products here that you cannot find anywhere. … There’s a dessert coming from the show on Netflix ‘Culinary Wars.’ I forgot the name of the chef, but I think CU is carrying that brand.” 

Here in South Korea with her two friends, Sena from Türkiye has been trying as many convenience store foods as possible. 

[Sound bite: Sena Gluendir – Turkish tourist]
“Blueberry bbang. My friends eating a lot of ramen, and hamburger.” 
“I love Korean foods, usually japchae. I want to all day eat japchae. My friend likes jajangmyeon. Korean foods are the best in life.”

With K-pop and K-dramas creating legions of fans abroad, the country itself has become trendy on social media. 

Trips to South Korean cosmetics stores and restaurants, and even everyday activities like shopping at a convenience store, can attract millions of views on Instagram and TikTok.
 
Some of the most trending videos today show influencers in convenience stores trying out their own recipes. 

One popular convenience store recipe consists of a banana milk and a coffee pouch — banana milk latte.

These stores have become so popular that convenience store chains are introducing new tech tools to handle the influx of foreign customers. 

[Sound bite: Hong Gi-eun – store manager, CU Sangsang branch (Korean-English)]
“Looking at the number of overseas payments at CU, this figure increased by 37-point-five percent in 2022, 151-point-nine percent in 2023 and 177-point-one percent in 2024, compared with the previous year. To provide the best service for our foreign customers, who keep growing in number each year, CU recently introduced unstaffed currency exchange kiosks and tax refund services. Our branch has also started offering AI interpretation services.”

In South Korea, convenience stores are indispensable for busy working people, who often rely on them for groceries, ATM services, and even to pick up online shopping delivery packages.

They’ve become so popular that they’ve gone abroad, with over one-thousand-300 convenience stores from chains headquartered in South Korea now operating in foreign countries. 
David Lee, reporting for KBS World Radio News.