Beyond Ramen: CJ’s Global No. 1 Lysine Business and the Hidden Powerhouses of Food and Agriculture

Ramen and snacks, soy sauce and sugar, flour and fertilizer. Consumers remember the brands first, but industry is always what keeps things moving behind the scenes. A meal is not made from finished products alone. It only comes together when fermentation-based amino acids and seasoning ingredients, basic raw materials like starch syrup, sugar, and flour, and the machinery and supplies used in agriculture—the starting point of those raw materials—all move in sync.

What’s interesting is that there are stronger Korean companies behind this than most people realize. CJ CheilJedang is the global No. 1 in fermentation-based bio products such as lysine, tryptophan, and nucleotides, yet its public recognition is strangely low. Isn’t that a twist. In an era when K-food is going global, one real pillar of competitiveness runs not outside on the packaging, but much deeper—in these materials, raw ingredients, and agricultural equipment.

Fermentation & Amino Acid Biomaterials — The Science of Invisible Flavor (4 companies)

Fermentation and amino acid biomaterials may be invisible, but they shape taste and functionality while also determining cost and competitiveness. CJ CheilJedang is the global No. 1 in lysine, tryptophan, and nucleic acid fermentation bio, with production bases spread across China, the U.S., South America, and Southeast Asia. This is not just a case of one company being big; it is a snapshot of the industrial depth of Korea’s fermentation process technology. Daesang started with ‘Miwon,’ Korea’s first fermented seasoning, and has expanded its materials business into amino acids and starch sugars, while Sempio Foods, as a fermentation specialist known for soy sauce and more, continues to demonstrate how fermentation technology can be turned into materials.

Borak also deserves a place here. Food additives such as tartaric acid, flavorings, and gum base rarely register with the public, but they occupy a surprisingly solid position in the manufacturing value chain. Its presence as a leading domestic tartaric acid player is clear. The essence of this sector is that it is not about all-out brand warfare, but about an industry that makes money through fermentation processes and materials portfolios. That is precisely why it matters. If green bio is more than just a slogan, then the accumulated capabilities in fermented amino acids and functional materials are exactly the kind of card Korea can realistically bring to the table.

Company	Core focus
CJ CheilJedang	Global No. 1 in lysine, tryptophan, and nucleic acid fermentation bio — production bases in China, the U.S., South America, and Southeast Asia
Daesang	Fermented seasoning 'Miwon' (Korea’s first) · amino acids · starch sugars — biomaterials + starch sugar materials business
Borak	Food additives such as tartaric acid, flavorings, and gum base — leading domestic tartaric acid player
Sempio Foods	Fermentation specialist in soy sauce and more — materialization of fermentation technology

Starch Syrup, Sugar Refining, and Flour Milling — The Basic Ingredients of the Table (3 companies)

Starch syrup, sugar refining, and flour milling are not glamorous. But as the phrase “basic ingredients of the table” suggests, they are the kind of industries whose absence would be felt first. Samyang Corporation, beyond starch syrup, has Korea’s largest allulose production capacity at 13,000 tons per year and is also active in prebiotics. Daehan Sugar is one of Korea’s three major sugar refiners, responsible for a key part of sugar—the oldest of food ingredients. Daehan Flour Mills is the company best known for flour and the familiar “Gompyo” brand.

This is where the divergence begins. High-value-added materials like allulose are clearly an area where Korean companies can build global competitiveness. Sugar and flour, by contrast, are fundamentally far more exposed to grain prices and exchange rates, with relatively limited room for differentiation. Samyang Corporation’s allulose speaks the language of growth, while sugar refining and flour milling are much closer to the language of survival and efficiency. In the end, even within food ingredients, one side is valued as a material of the future, while the other becomes a test of endurance under cost pressure. Harsh, but real.

Company	Core business
Samyang Corporation	Starch syrup + Korea’s largest allulose capacity (13,000 tons/year) · prebiotics
Daehan Sugar	Sugar refining — one of Korea’s three major sugar refiners
Daehan Flour Mills	Flour milling — the 'Gompyo' brand

Agricultural Machinery & Farm Inputs — The Tools That Produce Food (6 companies)

Agricultural machinery and farm inputs are more direct. They are, quite literally, the tools that produce food. Daedong is the No. 1 tractor maker in Korea and is pushing Level 4 autonomous smart farm machinery. It also ranks No. 3 in North America for compact and mid-sized tractors. TYM is Korea’s No. 2 tractor company, with a large share of its business tied to exports to North America. Asia Technology holds a dominant domestic position in cultivators and SS machines—that is, speed sprayers—making it a strong player in small and mid-sized agricultural machinery. Unlisted LS Mtron, also part of the LS Group, is likewise a notable player in tractors and components.

The structure of the farm inputs side matters too. Nuvoco works in compound fertilizers, organic farming materials, and crop protection, while Hyosung O&B specializes in organic fertilizers and by-product fertilizers. If smart farming is really going to scale, autonomous tractors alone cannot lead the way. Fertilizers suited to field conditions, crop protection, and machinery operating systems all have to move together. As Daedong’s autonomous tractor makes clear, the next competitive battleground in agriculture is not machinery sales, but who can seize the smart farming ecosystem first. Still, the question remains. As the number of farms declines and the domestic demand base thins out, can these companies survive by looking only at the Korean market? That is exactly why North American exports and technological advancement are becoming even more critical.

Company	Core business
Daedong	Korea’s No. 1 in agricultural machinery (tractors) — autonomous (Lv.4) smart farm machinery; exports to North America (No. 3 in compact and mid-sized tractors)
TYM	Korea’s No. 2 in agricultural machinery (tractors) — high exposure to North American exports (formerly Tong Yang Moolsan)
Asia Technology	Dominant in Korea in cultivators and SS machines (speed sprayers) — small and mid-sized agricultural machinery
LS Mtron	Tractors, injection molding machines, and components — LS Group affiliate (unlisted)
Nuvoco	Compound fertilizers, organic farming materials, and crop protection (agrochemicals)
Hyosung O&B	Specialist in organic fertilizers and by-product fertilizers

What to Watch Going Forward

Food security, green biotech, smart agriculture. These three terms are no longer buzzwords—they define where the industry is headed. High-value-added materials such as fermented amino acids, nucleotides, and allulose are areas where Korea holds a relatively clear competitive edge, while smart agricultural machinery like autonomous tractors is directly aligned with the global challenge of farm labor shortages. In other words, companies that have long worked quietly behind the dining table are now stepping into the center of the next stage.

But this is not a story of optimism alone. Much of the sugar refining, flour milling, and starch syrup business remains highly sensitive to grain prices and exchange rates, while agricultural machinery and farm inputs run head-on into the structural decline of the domestic farming base. Even with world-leading fermentation materials, not every company will rise at the same pace. That is exactly what makes this industry more interesting. It holds both global materials competitiveness and the limits of domestic market structure at the same time. To see the next chapter of K-food, you need to look not at the store shelf, but behind this value chain.

※ This article organizes company names, core businesses, and market positions based on publicly available materials verified online, and some assessments reflect the author’s views. It should not be used as a direct basis for investment decisions.

Written: July 2026. Ealexandro