South Korea’s World Ramen Festival leaves attendees hungry for more: ‘threw most away’

Poor planning and logistical issues were some complaints that left a sour taste in attendees’ mouths at the 2025 World Ramen Festival held in Busan, South Korea

Organisers of the event from May 2 to 11 said the inaugural festival would have more than 2,200 ramen brands from 15 countries, including Japan, Thailand, Vietnam and the United States. However, shortly after the event began, ramen enthusiasts realised that there were fewer than 10 brands were actually available – an even smaller selection than what is typically found in convenience stores.

Many took to social media to voice their concerns about logistical issues, saying the organisers did not provide hot water or offer enough varieties of ramen to satisfy their expectations.

“A total of seven types of ramen at the World Ramen Festival? Vietnamese and Thai ramen brands have official importers here, so you can buy them whenever you want,” one user wrote.

Another wrote, “I threw away most of the ramen because the water was lukewarm. This is the worst festival I have ever been to.” Some food trucks left the venue earlier than expected because they did not receive the promised payments, according to media reports.

The organising committee issued a formal apology on Monday, acknowledging its poor management. “We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience and discomfort that many of you experienced due to poor handling of the festival,” it said in a statement.