“This is not just a retro revival. It’s the restoration of our honor and the return of sincerity.”

With those words, Kim Jung-soo, vice chairman of Samyang Foods, unveiled the company’s new product “Samyang 1963” at a launch event held at the Voco Seoul Myeongdong Hotel on November 3. The ramen, fried in beef tallow (animal fat), marks the company’s first use of tallow in 36 years. Since the late 1980s, Samyang had exclusively used vegetable oil, such as palm oil, for frying its noodles, making this a symbolic comeback.

Samyang Foods suffered a major blow in 1989 during what became known as the “tallow scandal.” Following an anonymous tip accusing the company of using “industrial beef tallow” in its ramen, prosecutors launched an investigation, sending Samyang’s market share into freefall. Although the government later confirmed that tallow ramen posed no health risks, the company’s image was severely damaged, and beef tallow became taboo in Korea’s instant noodle industry.

Now, Samyang is facing that stigma head-on. The company deliberately chose to launch the new product on the exact day the original complaint that triggered the scandal in 1989 was filed. The event opened with a video montage of old TV news clips and newspaper headlines about the scandal, followed by ads that revisit those memories and pay tribute to former employees who had to leave the company during that turbulent time.

The location of the launch, near Namdaemun Market, was also symbolic. It was in this area that founder Jeon Jung-yoon (who passed away in 2014) first conceived the idea of ramen after seeing people eating “scrap stew” to get by. His creation in 1963 became Korea’s first-ever instant ramen. By unveiling Samyang 1963 there, the company sought to highlight its founding spirit and brand heritage.

“Beef tallow, once shunned as taboo, was actually the ingredient that brought out the true flavor of Samyang Ramen,” Kim said. “Samyang 1963 is not a return to the past. It’s a foundation for the future.” Tallow costs more than twice as much as palm oil.

A company official explained, “It’s not about good or bad. Palm oil and beef tallow simply offer different flavor profiles. Their chemical properties, such as fat composition, heat stability, and oxidation resistance, are nearly the same.”

When this reporter tried Samyang 1963, the broth had a deep, meaty flavor, based on beef bone stock and accented with radish, green onions, and chili peppers for a spicy but clean finish. Priced at 1,538 won per pack (regular retail price), it is positioned as a premium ramen.

Samyang’s bold decision to revisit a once-forbidden ingredient reflects the confidence it has gained from the global success of “Buldak Ramen,” which sparked a worldwide spicy noodle craze. “Samyang Foods is no longer just a ramen company,” Kim said. “We are a global food brand sharing Korean culinary culture with the world, and this marks the beginning of yet another innovation.”