Daejeon City's "Daejeon Kkumdori Ramen," the nation's first character ramen, is drawing attention as a success story in the local content industry, having surpassed 500,000 cumulative sales just one month after its launch.

According to Daejeon City, as of July 7, cumulative sales of Kkumdori Ramen have exceeded 500,000 units. This achievement, reached approximately one month after its launch on June 9, is attributed to a successful local-exclusive marketing strategy and the pioneering of a new genre: character ramen.

Kkumdori Ramen was planned using the "Kkum Family" characters, which are a modern reinterpretation of "Kkumdori," the mascot of the 1993 Daejeon Expo. Beyond being a simple food item, it has established itself as a complex content encompassing Daejeon's city brand, economy, and tourism, receiving great responses from both citizens and tourists.

In particular, the "Kkumdori Ramen 인증샷 (proof shot)" trend and the craze for collecting merchandise, which have spread through social media and online communities, are providing special memories for those visiting Daejeon.

After the initial production of 300,000 units sold out in two weeks and 500,000 units were sold in a month, Daejeon City is now focusing on stable supply by adding 250,000 units to production.

Daejeon Mayor Lee Jang-woo stated, "The success of Kkumdori Ramen is a good example of how local content can integrate economy and tourism. We will continue to do our best to develop products that leverage unique local characteristics and build a sustainable city brand."

Meanwhile, Daejeon City is also pushing for the development of follow-up products utilizing Kkumdori, such as "Won X Kkumdori Makgeolli" and "Kkumdori Cup Ramen." Based on public-private cooperation, the city plans to continue developing content and marketing efforts to revitalize the local economy and attract more tourists.

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