The Story Of Mr. Lee, The Ramen King Of Norway

Korean ramen has now gained global fame. To provide more specialized and intriguing stories about Korean ramen, we have brought in Korea’s only ramen expert critic, Piki. These articles are all written by Piki and offer various insights about ramen. We plan to release this series daily over the course of two weeks, so please stay tuned!

Let’s get into it!

Hello, readers! I am Ji YeongJun, a ramen culture content creator and ramen conqueror, known as Piki.

Today, I’m excited to share with you the fascinating story of Lee CheolHo, better known as Mr. Lee, the creator of Norway’s beloved Mr. Lee Ramen. Lee’s journey is not just about ramen but also about overcoming incredible odds, making his story one for the ages.

Lee CheolHo went to Norway to heal his crippled body after facing countless deaths and was later recognized as a chef after his numerous efforts in Norway. He then made ramen named after him and became widely known in both Norway and Korea.

Let’s me introduce the story of Lee CheolHo who was called the “king of ramen”.

Lee CheolHo was born in 1937 in a modest family in Cheonan, Chungnam. As a middle schooler, he experienced the horrors of the Korean War. During the war, young Lee took on various jobs like selling straw hats, iced tea, and shining shoes. However, working amidst the chaos of war was immensely challenging, and he nearly lost everything to the raging waters of the Imjin River, surviving only thanks to a dramatic rescue by American soldiers.

The American troops, who saw Lee as a lucky survivor, took him under their wing. Despite the relatively better living conditions in the military camps, life was fraught with danger. Lee was severely injured during a bombing in Sokcho. He suffered a stomach injury, and his legs stopped working, and he went around the field hospital for treatment. During surgery, he was declared dead, and then dramatically recovered but left him struggling to walk.

After numerous unsuccessful surgeries, the American soldiers published his story in a newspaper, seeking help. Touched by his plight, many people reached out to help, leading to Lee’s transfer to Norway for treatment.

In Norway, his leg gradually improved, but building a life there was entirely up to him. Lee took up various jobs, from hotel bellboy to cleaner, fiercely saving every penny.

Lee CheolHo, who had little money left after paying his monthly rent, saved money by buying used bread to eat after the expiration date, and started studying as a chef with the money he saved.

Lee’s hard work paid off as he gained admission to a culinary college, eventually graduating as the top student and earning a scholarship. He used this scholarship to further his culinary skills in Switzerland. Known for his meticulous preparation and dedication, Lee quickly rose through the ranks, impressing his peers and mentors.

His efforts didn’t stop there. He left for Switzerland to improve his cooking skills.

Lee CheolHo realizing his dream of becoming a cook

When he was working as a chef in Switzerland, he was only given the job of peeling potatoes when he became a chef for the first time. Lee CheolHo checked the menu in advance that day, prepared potatoes in various forms to suit the menu of the day, and was promoted to learn cooking in six months in recognition of this, surprising people around him.

There is also an anecdote that a fellow chef who had only shaved potatoes for nearly three years after seeing Lee CheolHo’s promotion at the time wrote his resignation.

Lee continued to study culinary arts, languages, and hotel management across Switzerland, France, and Germany.

He likened his journey to a “turtle’s race,” requiring triple the effort and time due to his physical and linguistic limitations. He thought that with his efforts he would receive recognition.

In fact, Lee CheolHo’s efforts were recognized and scouted in the best conditions for a first-class Norwegian restaurant, and later became the chef of a traditional hotel.
​
After getting married, he was scouted as a catering manager in Norway, and over the course of 22 years, he has opened 15 chains, demonstrating his tremendous potential. However, after his life-long career moved on to a Danish company, he became hurt and decided to take on the business himself.

The first thing he noticed was ginseng. It was a great success in importing ginseng from Korea and selling it to Norway.
​
After that, he tried the ginseng tea business but failed tremendously. However, he didn’t give up and made up for the failure with ginseng bread using returned ginseng tea.

And Lee CheolHo needed a new business item, and what he paid attention to ramen.

In 1968, 14 years after moving to Norway, Lee returned to Korea and tasted ramen for the first time in a small eatery in Euljiro. The spicy, savory flavor left a lasting impression on him. He loved the spicy and savory taste of it to the point of bring then on his way home and come back to Korea several times.

Believing that ramen could succeed in Norway, he seized an opportunity to collaborate with Nongshim, a leading Korean food company.

Despite initial resistance from Norwegian supermarkets, Lee’s relentless efforts paid off. At first, he was treated poorly everwhere he went but kept visiting people until they opened their hearts.

His perseverance led to a deal with a major food retailer, and the ramen business quickly expanded from three boxes to 1,100 boxes.

Realizing the importance of branding from his previous experience, Lee proposed creating a ramen brand named Mr. Lee.

Although Nongshim hesitated due to the small scale of the initial order, Lee committed to ordering 20 containers, securing the brand name. He even designed the packaging himself, ensuring it catered to Norwegian tastes.

Mr. Lee Ramen became a massive hit in Norway.

Lee’s marketing efforts, including cooking demonstrations and TV commercials featuring his unique blend of humor and wisdom, further boosted the brand’s popularity. He appeared with a clean chef’s uniform and ramen cooked with all his heart, and Norwegian people loved it.

He appeared with a clean chef’s uniform and ramen cooked with all his heart, and Norwegian people loved it.

As Mr.Lee ramen’s popularity grows day by day, Lee CheolHo couldn’t handle the ramen business alone and handed over the rights of Mr.Lee ramen to the sales company Toro.
​
He didn’t leave the business after handing over the rights, but he worked with Toro to greatly help with sales and marketing, especially by appearing directly in TV commercials and gaining huge popularity.

By the early 2000s, Mr. Lee Ramen held a 70% market share in Norway, which grew to over 90% by 2010. Lee’s story is a testament to resilience and the belief that happiness can be found despite life’s challenges. He passed away in 2018 at the age of 81, leaving behind a legacy that continues to inspire both Koreans and Norwegians.

Thank you for reading until the end. Stay tuned for more captivating stories related to ramen and beyond.

References:

• “The Story of Mr. Lee, the Ramen King of Norway” by Lee Cheol-ho, Chuang-shi Era, 2001
• “Never Give Up” by Irina Lee, Jininet, 2011
• Various media interviews and broadcasts