Sales of Shin Ramyun Black Cup are skyrocketing, thanks to music sensation Psy.

The product, produced by Nongshim, the nation’s No.1 instant noodle maker, marked 2 billion won in sales in October, according to market researcher AC Nielsen Korea. That is a jump of more than 30 percent from the previous month.

The product’s sales began surging after the advertising campaign featuring Psy first went on air on Oct. 13, said Nongshim officials. 

Shin Ramyun Black climbed to sixth place in instant cup noodle sales in local marts. Sales of overall Shin Ramyun instant noodles surpassed 5 billion won in October as well, an increase from its average of 4 billion won.

To bring out the most from Psy, the noodle company has also been airing the adverts in the U.S. since Nov. 12. The popularity of Shin Ramyun Black has been growing in the U.S. as well, according to Nongshim officials.

“An explosive response was sensed soon after Psy’s advertisement went on air. We expect a significant increase of Shin Ramyun Black’s sales in November,” said an official at Nongshim America through statement.

The cup noodle market is on a steady increase due to the augmentation of one-person households and convenience stores, said Lee Dae-jin, an official at Nongshim’s product marketing department.

“Buoyed by the ‘Psy effect,’ Shin Ramyun Black Cup is leading the market. We plan to continue the growth by introducing various new cup noodle products next year,” he said.

By Park Min-young  (claire@heraldcorp.com)