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(LEAD) Chairman of noodle giant Nongshim dies

March 29, 2021

Shin Choon-ho, chairman of South Korea’s top noodle maker Nongshim, died Saturday of a chronic illness, the company said. He was 91.

He passed away at 3:38 a.m. while at a hospital for treatment. His funeral will be held Tuesday, the group said in a statement.

Born in 1930, Shin founded Nongshim in 1965 and has managed the firm successfully to make it the country’s top instant noodle and snack maker. He became group chairman in 1992.

Under his leadership, Nongshim has rolled out a number of signature items that have been popular both at home and abroad.

Its flagship products include Shin Ramyun, a spicy brand; Chapaghetti, instant black bean noodles; and Neoguri, spicy udon-like noodles. Chapaguri, which is a signature noodle dish from the Oscar-winning film “Parasite,” is a mixture of Chapaghetti and Neoguri.

Nongshim will be headed by the founder’s son and the current vice chairman, Dong-won.

The late chairman is also the younger brother of Shin Kyuk-ho, the late founder of retail giant Lotte Group.

Nongshim Group Chairman Shin Choon-ho (Yonhap)
This photo, provided by Nongshim Co., shows its new Chapaguri instant cup noodle, which the South Korean instant noodle maker released globally on April 20, 2020. The product is the commercialization of the Chapaguri dish, a mixture of the company's instant noodle brands Chapaghetti and Neoguri that appeared in Bong Joon-ho's Oscar-winning film "Parasite." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Nongshim Group Chairman Shin Choon-ho (Yonhap)