Orion Jellyday Pomegranate launch product photo with heart-shaped jelly candies coated in vitamin C powder, a 2018 Korean snack debut

A Spotlight on Korean Snacks that Made Their 2018 Debut

June 21, 2026 Hyunwoo Cho

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2018 was a wild year for Korean snack lovers. From Orion and Nongshim to Samyang and Crown, Korea's biggest snack brands rolled out a string of brand new flavours, limited springtime editions and crunchy K-pop-shaped chips that quickly became fan favourites on convenience-store shelves. We rounded up the most memorable Korean snacks that made their 2018 debut, with a quick look at what each one tastes like and why it earned a spot in our pantry.

Pomegranate Jellyday (젤리데이 석류)

Orion's Jellyday line has been a Korean grocery staple since 2012, but in March 2018 the brand finally tackled one of the most requested flavours: pomegranate. The bright pink heart-shaped jelly candies are coated in vitamin C powder, so one zipper pouch delivers 100% of your daily vitamin C while still tasting like a fruit gummy. Orion specifically aimed the launch at women in their twenties and thirties who want a snack that doubles as a little daily wellness boost, and the tart, slightly floral pomegranate flavour quickly earned the new variety its own following alongside the existing peach and grape Jellydays.

Samyang Jjajang Buldak Bokkeummyeon (짜장불닭볶음면)

Samyang's Buldak (Fire Chicken) noodles had already conquered the internet thanks to the Fire Noodle Challenge, so the brand needed a new twist to keep things interesting. Enter Jjajang Buldak, released in early 2018. The new flavour combines Samyang's signature spicy fire-chicken sauce with a creamy Korean-Chinese style jjajang (black bean) sauce, giving you the comfort of jjajangmyeon with the kick of buldak. It's the perfect bridge for anyone who finds the original Buldak too aggressive, and the dish pairs beautifully with traditional sides like yellow pickled radish.

Samyang Jjajang Buldak Bokkeummyeon Hot Chicken Black Bean noodles bowl, a 2018 Korean ramen debut from Samyang Foods — Samyang Jjajang Buldak Hot Chicken Ramen, 2018 release | Source: Bokksu Market

Kkobuk Chips: Himalayan Pink Salt (꼬북칩 히말라야 소금맛)

Orion's four-layer Turtle Chip (꼬북칩) had become a runaway hit since 2017, and in December 2018 the brand dropped a Himalayan pink salt edition just in time for the gifting season. The classic four stacked corn layers stay the same, but the seasoning swaps the original corn soup notes for a clean, mineral-y saltiness that lets the toasted corn flavour shine. The result is a slightly more grown-up take on a chip that already had a cult following at SnackFever HQ.

Orion Kkobuk Chip Turtle Chips bag showing the four-layer corn snack that launched the Himalayan Pink Salt flavour in 2018 — Orion Turtle Chips (꼬북칩), the four-layer corn snack that added a Himalayan Pink Salt flavour in late 2018 | Source: Munch Addict

Choco Pie Strawberry & Yogurt and Fresh Berry Peach & Yogurt

Orion's Choco Pie is the original Korean treat box staple, and every spring the brand releases a limited-edition flavour to celebrate cherry-blossom season. In March 2018 it dropped two at once: a Strawberry & Yogurt Choco Pie wrapped in pink packaging and a Fresh Berry Peach & Yogurt pie that swapped chocolate coating for a peachy yogurt drizzle. Both versions kept the pillowy marshmallow and sponge centre of the original, but added a creamy fruity tang that disappears in one bite.

Orion Fresh Berry Peach and Yogurt Pie spring edition box, a limited 2018 Korean snack release with peach yogurt drizzle on marshmallow sponge pie — Orion Fresh Berry Peach & Yogurt Pie, spring 2018 limited edition | Source: H Mart Manhattan Delivery

Nongshim Corn Soup Postick Hafcut (포스틱 콘스프맛 하프컷) and Yuja Snack

Nongshim was just as busy. In October 2018 the brand released a smaller "half-cut" version of its beloved Postick potato sticks in a sweet, savoury corn-soup seasoning, sized perfectly so you can pop them in your mouth one at a time instead of biting in half. Around the same time, Nongshim launched a yuja (Korean citron) flavoured rice puff snack, the Jocheong Yuja, with a sticky honey glaze and zesty citron aroma that captured one of Korea's most beloved tea flavours in crunchy form.

Nongshim Postick potato stick snack bag, the original line that gained a corn soup hafcut version in 2018 — Nongshim Postick potato sticks, the line that introduced a corn soup half-cut version in late 2018 | Source: Munch Addict

Squid Leg Snack and Marketo Nature Pasta Chips

Two other Korean snack debuts rounded out 2018. Nongshim's Ojingeo Dari Daldalguyi (오징어다리 달달구이), inspired by the buttered grilled squid sold at Korean movie theatres, came in a fun tentacle shape and combined sweet syrup with butter and a clean squid flavour, making it the unofficial successor to the long-running Ojingeo Jip squid puff. Orion's Marketo Nature Pasta Chips, meanwhile, took an Italian detour with whole-wheat pasta-shaped chips coated in Tomato & Onion or Mushroom Cream sauce, a more grown-up snack pitched at health-conscious K-snackers.