K-pop fans can now get one step closer to their favorite stars, according to news reports from South Korea.
An image of packaging for instant noodles went viral after it appeared that to be linked with the popular K-pop boy band EXO. According to the K-Pop Herald, Korean brand E-mart and EXO's entertainment agency SM Entertainment are working on a collaboration.
The picture, which featured EXO's logo and called the product "EXO Stir-Fry Jjajang Ramen" was a leaked test packaging, according to E-mart's officials. It has yet to be decided which products EXO and other SM Entertainments will be collaborating with.
SM Entertainment's products will feature several widely-recognized acts from the company, including Girls' Generation, Super Junior, SHINee, and EXO.
Ramen is a lucrative market in South Korea, with more than $1.77 billion made in total ramen sales in 2015.
However, the K-Pop Herald reports that discount chains like E-Mart only make up 4 percent of the market, while Nongshim still accounts for 61.6 percent, with the next most popular brand (Ottugi) only bringing in 18.3 percent of overall ramen sales.
The test packaging leak came after several new announcements from SM Entertainment, including a new restaurant in Seoul with plans to expand. SM Entertainment also recently announced a new K-pop act called NCT that will feature localized boy bands in several locations around the globe. In addition, SM launched a new digital music platform known as STATION on Wednesday.
E-mart provided no timeline regarding the new K-pop products, but fans certainly have a lot to look forward to.
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Tamar Herman is a multi-media journalist and the co-founder of KultScene. She is a freelance writer and copy editor, and has written for MTV Iggy, Noisey and Paste Magazine.
