Samyang Foods has shown an earnings surprise in the second quarter, registering an operating profit during the first half of this year and outrunning its two rivals, Nongshim and Ottogi, according to the food company Wednesday.

The performance has hinted that Samyang, which has remained at No. 3 in the country’s instant noodles market, might overtake the others with the growing overseas sales of its signature brand Buldak.

Samyang, in the second quarter, registered 424.4 billion won ($311.8 million) in sales and an operating profit of 89.4 billion won. Exports accounted for 332.1 billion won of the sales.

Based on the figures, the company registered 810.1 billion won in sales (621.1 billion won from overseas) and an operating profit of 169.5 billion won in 한국을 the first half of this year. This was a 149.6 percent year-on-year increase from last year’s 67.9 billion won operating profit. The first-half earnings this year are even higher than the entirety of 2023.

Samyang’s robust performance derived from the popularity of Buldak instant noodle products overseas.

Most of the brand’s overseas sales came from the United States. With its American subsidiary Samyang America, the company registered $71.4 million in sales in the country in the second quarter alone, a 125 percent jump compared to the previous year. Carbonara Buldak led sales in the country, according to the company.

Europe has become another rising market for Samyang. About 19 percent of the company’s exports headed to the region during the first six months of this year. The figure grew from 6 percent in 2019 to 15 percent last year.