Korea’s leading beauty retailer, CJ Olive Young (hereafter “Olive Young”), has officially launched K-Super Rookie with Young, an incubation program aimed at discovering and supporting the next generation of K-beauty brands with global potential.
According to Olive Young on July 10, the program is a joint initiative with South Korea’s Ministry of SMEs and Startups, designed to help small and medium-sized cosmetics companies with strong export capabilities expand into overseas markets. Following a public call for applications in May and a rigorous two-month evaluation process, Olive Young is now commencing the program in full.
The initiative attracted applications from 232 small and medium-sized beauty brands, demonstrating strong interest and a highly competitive selection process. Based on criteria such as product competitiveness and global market potential, 25 brands were ultimately selected.
From July 9 through December 31, 2025, the selected “Super Rookie” brands will receive comprehensive support via Olive Young’s online and offline distribution channels to accelerate their global expansion.
Dedicated displays for the program will be installed in 25 flagship Olive Young stores located in high-traffic areas such as Gangnam and Myeongdong, as well as in key tourist hubs like Incheon Airport, Busan, and Jeju, introducing participating brands to international visitors in Korea.
In addition, starting July 16, a curated promotional event will be launched on OliveYoung Global, the company’s cross-border e-commerce platform, further expanding exposure to global consumers.
Each brand will also receive personalized consulting support from Olive Young’s global business division, including customized marketing strategies based on their flagship products, target markets, and key customer segments.
Furthermore, during KCON 2025 hosted by CJ ENM in the United States from August 1 to 3 (local time), Olive Young will operate a dedicated booth featuring the selected brands, providing a direct platform for engagement with global K-beauty fans.
An Olive Young spokesperson stated, “We created this program in response to the challenges many small but high-quality brands face when entering global markets. Our goal is not only short-term support but long-term growth—helping these brands build a solid global presence while strengthening the overall competitiveness of the K-beauty ecosystem.”
