Samyang Foods has announced plans to apply for trademark registration of the English name 'Buldak' in South Korea as the popularity of its spicy chicken noodle brand escalates internationally. This move comes in response to a surge of counterfeit and imitation products that have cropped up in various countries, as brand recognition grows, particularly in markets like China, Southeast Asia, Japan, and the United States.

A company representative indicated that the application for the 'Buldak' trademark could take place as early as this month or in March, reflecting the urgency to secure brand rights domestically. Since the spicy noodle phenomenon began in the 2020s, various knock-offs have emerged, including products that cleverly alter the name or unlawfully use Samyang's mascot character. The company has actively registered trademarks globally, with about 500 registrations or pending applications in 88 countries, but recognizes the need for strong domestic protections to strengthen its claims abroad.

Despite these efforts, an earlier trademark application for the Korean name 'Buldak' has not been successful, as South Korean courts ruled that the term has become too generic to identify the brand exclusively. This emphasizes the growing concern for brand protection in the face of expanding exports and the increasing importance of safeguarding Korean brands' identities against global competition, as highlighted by Samyang's Vice Chairman Kim Jeong-soo during a recent economic forum.