The original king of Korean cup ramen — 40 years on and nobody’s beaten it. The portion’s small and it runs a little salty, but that red spicy-beef broth is pure comfort in a cup.
Nongshim Yukgaejang Sabalmyeon costs ₩1,200 at GS25 convenience store, Seoul, South Korea, as of July 2026. ()
In Korea there’s an unwritten rule: for packet ramyeon it’s Shin Ramyun, and for cup ramyeon it’s this. Yukgaejang Sabalmyeon has been the country’s number-one-selling cup noodle since 1982, and it basically set the standard for what a Korean cup ramen tastes like — every knockoff since has been chasing it. Here’s the funny part: it’s named after yukgaejang, a spicy shredded-beef soup, but it tastes so much like its own thing that Korean celebrities on TV couldn’t even guess what soup it was supposed to be. This is the ramen of train platforms, highway rest stops, and 2am convenience-store counters — a whole generation grew up on it, and in the army one cup was basically an event.
So how is it, really? Honestly, more comforting than jaw-dropping. The broth is warm, savory and mildly spicy — the kind of thing that hits when you’re tired, not when you’re actually hungry, because at 86g it’s a snack, not a meal. It’s quietly shrunk a little and gotten a touch saltier over the years, but that’s part of the deal. On price: ₩1,200 is the convenience-store rate. Buy it by the 24-cup box at a big mart or Costco and it’s a fraction of that per cup — so a hot one at midnight is fine, but there’s no reason to stock up one cup at a time at a GS25.
| Item | Nongshim Yukgaejang Sabalmyeon (spicy beef cup ramen, 86g) |
| Price | ₩1,200 — |
| Where | GS25 convenience store, Seoul, South Korea |
| Date | July 2026 |
| Best for | Midnight cravings, long train rides, and anyone who wants the one cup ramen every Korean grew up on. |
| Would I buy again? | Every time — just not one cup at a time at a convenience store. A mart box is way cheaper per cup. |
Tip: Fill to the inside line with hot water and wait 3 minutes. Real move: stir a spoonful of rice into the leftover broth at the end. Most GS25 branches have a free hot-water dispenser and a counter to eat at.
FAQ
How much does Nongshim Yukgaejang cup ramen cost in Korea?
₩1,200 at a GS25 convenience store as of July 2026. Convenience stores charge the most — a 24-cup box at a big mart or Costco works out a lot cheaper per cup.
Is Yukgaejang Sabalmyeon spicy?
Mild to medium — noticeably gentler than Shin Ramyun. It’s a savory spicy-beef broth with easy heat most people can handle.
How do you cook it?
Peel the lid back to the line, add boiling water to the inside mark, re-cover, and wait 3 minutes. Most convenience stores have a free hot-water dispenser.
Where can I buy it?
Any Korean convenience store (GS25, CU, 7-Eleven, Emart24), plus supermarkets and online. It’s one of the most widely stocked cup noodles in the country.
This price is as of July 8, 2026 (date of writing) and may vary by store.