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CJ Group chief visits new Olive Young store in Myeongdong ahead of U.S. expansion

Published: 29 Mar. 2026, 17:36 Updated: 29 Mar. 2026, 18:03

CHO YONG-JUN
[email protected]

CJ Group Chairman Lee Jay-hyun, second from left, during his visit at the Olive Young Central Myeongdong Town branch in central Seoul on March 26. [CJ OLIVE YOUNG]

CJ Group Chairman Lee Jay-hyun visited the new Olive Young store in Myeongdong on Thursday ahead of the beauty retailer’s planned expansion to the United States.

The new Olive Young Central Myeongdong Town branch, in Jung District, central Seoul, is the second-largest Olive Young brick-and-mortar store after the N Seongsu branch in eastern Seoul. The store, boasting the widest product range of any Olive Young location, aims to be the destination for travelers visiting Seoul.

This is also why Lee paid a visit to the store in Myeondong — it acts as a test bed for the retailer’s upcoming U.S. brick-and-mortar store in Pasadena, California.

Olive Young Central Myeongdong Town [CHO YONG-JUN]

Lee, having checked the store, told the executives to “build a sustainable K-beauty ecosystem in the United States,” as the retailer did so in Korea. The chairperson’s visit was accompanied by CJ Olive Young CEO Lee Sun-jung and Lee’s eldest son, who is the head of the company's planning office.

The chairman purchased Dr. G and Cell Fusion C’s sunscreens, Arencia’s green teal cleanser, squid sweet rice chips and bagel chips, Zeroid facial cream and Bioheal’s cream during Thursday's visit.

BY CHO YONG-JUN [[email protected]]