CJ Group Chairman Lee Jay-hyun (right) visits Olive Young's first US store in Pasadena, California, Friday. (CJ) CJ Group Chairman Lee Jae-hyun visited Olive Young's first US store in Pasadena, California, to take stock of the beauty retailer's overseas operations and the conglomerate's larger play to build a Korean lifestyle presence in North America.According to the company on Sunday, Lee visited the location ahead of its Friday opening and discussed the group's regional growth plans with executives, including CJ Corp. CEO Kim Hong-ki and Lee Sun-ho, head of future planning at CJ Corp."The opening of Olive Young's first US store is not simply the launch of another retail outlet," he said. "It is our first step into the world's largest market and the beginning of a broader global expansion."The store is the retailer's first entry point in a broader US march, with the East Coast and the South next in line, the company said. Modeled on Olive Young's retail format in Korea, it carries more than 5,000 products from roughly 400 small and midsize Korean brands.Lines formed before the doors opened Friday as shoppers turned out to browse an extensive K-beauty selection under one roof."I feel like there's much more range," said Fran, a customer at the Pasadena store, contrasting the selection with what she described as the narrower offerings of Western beauty retailers.Another shopper, Julia, said the experience reminded her of a recent trip to Korea: "The products are very diverse, and I like the makeup and skincare. I like the formulations."For CJ, Olive Young is a cornerstone of a broader blueprint to build a Korean lifestyle ecosystem in North America, combining its beauty business with food brands operated by CJ CheilJedang and CJ Foodville, as well as entertainment and media businesses under CJ ENM."Our goal is not limited to K-beauty and K-wellness. We want to bring a healthy and stylish lifestyle into the everyday lives of American consumers," Lee said.