Olive Young

Olive Young (올리브영) is South Korea's dominant health and beauty retail chain, operated by CJ Corporation. Since opening its first store in Sinsa in 1999, it has grown into over 1,370 domestic locations and a global e-commerce platform shipping to more than 150 countries. It holds roughly 50% of Korea's organized health and beauty retail market and reported KRW 4.79 trillion in sales for fiscal year 2024 - a 24% year-over-year increase driven by surging global K-beauty demand. For K-beauty consumers worldwide, Olive Young functions as a cultural curator: it scouts independent Korean brands, nurtures them with shelf space and data, then amplifies the breakout performers globally. In 2025, 116 brands sold through Olive Young exceeded KRW 10 billion in annual sales, with viral products like Cosrx snail mucin serums and Anua's heartleaf range reaching international consumers first through its global shipping platform before landing in foreign pharmacy and beauty retailers. In November 2025, Olive Young announced plans to open its first U.S. physical store in Pasadena, California in May 2026 - a watershed moment in K-beauty retail's transition from online-only international presence to bricks-and-mortar global retail. The company has also been linked to a potential IPO that could value it at over KRW 10 trillion. Its proximity to K-pop culture - stocking idol-endorsed beauty and collaborating with agency brands - makes it a key node in the broader Korean wave ecosystem.