Spicy instant noodles in Korea range from mildly kicky to tear-inducingly hot — and some pack more than a full day’s worth of salt into a single bowl, according to a consumer report released Tuesday by the Korea Consumer Agency. The state-run watchdog conducted a comprehensive safety and quality assessment of 12 top-selling instant noodle products. The test group comprised seven traditional soup-based ramyeon products and five brothless, stir-fried varieties, evaluating them across key metrics including spiciness intensity, nutritional content, safety standards and retail pricing. Laboratory analysis revealed that the concentration of capsaicinoids — the natural chemical compounds in chili peppers responsible for their fiery burn — varied by nearly seven times among the tested brands. In the soup-based category, Paldo’s Teumsae Ramen Red Pepper Rice Cake registered the highest heat level at 650 milligrams of capsaicinoids per kilogram. Among stir-fried noodles, Samyang Foods’ globally popular Buldak Bokkeum Myeon (Hot Chicken Flavor Ramyeon) took the top spot, recording 285