CJ Group Chairman Jay Lee visited the United States for his first global on-site management trip of the year, reviewing the group’s potential to expand its K-lifestyle platform and calling for stronger global competitiveness. The visit is expected to accelerate the group’s push into the U.S., one of its strategic markets.
CJ Group said Sunday that Chairman Lee visited “The CJ Cup Byron Nelson” held in McKinney, Texas, where he assessed the group’s K-lifestyle platform expansion potential and ordered an enhancement of global competitiveness. It marked Lee’s first visit to The CJ Cup held in the United States.
Lee’s choice of The CJ Cup as his first global management destination this year is interpreted as a move to accelerate the group’s penetration into the U.S., a strategic market. With K-culture evolving into mainstream culture in the U.S. and American Generation MZ showing growing interest in K-food, K-beauty and K-wellness, the visit reflects a judgment that now is the right time for CJ Group to leap forward as a “global lifestyle leading company.” Lee had previously visited group affiliates and key stores in Korea including Olive Young, Olipepe and OnStyle, urging staff that “now is the last opportunity to leap forward as a global lifestyle leading company” and to “preempt global market demand with a sense of urgency and speed.”
Lee toured the K-lifestyle experience zone “House of CJ,” built on approximately 750 square meters (about 227 pyeong) at the center of the golf course, along with the Bibigo and Olive Young booths and CJ Hospitality, checking visitor traffic flows and confirming on-site reactions to K-content such as K-food and K-beauty. “The CJ Cup must be expanded and developed beyond a simple golf tournament into a platform where people can directly experience and enjoy K-lifestyle in the U.S.,” Lee said. “Through this, we should rapidly broaden the group’s global business areas and help young Koreans freely pursue their dreams in the global market.”
House of CJ, filled with K-pop DJ performances, offered visitors Bibigo ramen, cocktails made with the premium distilled spirit “jari,” and Olive Young’s lottery-style “Lucky Draw.” A giant cake photo zone from Tous Les Jours also drew popularity among visitors. At the Bibigo concession and Olive Young booth set up around the fairway, as well as the corner for the K-street food brand “Doorumi,” long lines formed of gallery members eager to try tteokbokki and sunscreen.
“The CJ Cup is a space that well embodies CJ’s unique lifestyle strategy of naturally integrating Korean food and culture,” a CJ Group official said. “Through unforgettable experiences for galleries and families who visit here, we will evolve it into a K-lifestyle marketing platform that anyone can enjoy.”
The CJ Cup, a regular PGA Tour event, marked its 10th anniversary this year. This year’s tournament was held over four days from the 21st to the 24th (local time), drawing approximately 240,000 gallery members — the highest figure in the tournament’s history — and concluded successfully. The tournament featured a total prize purse of $10.3 million (approximately 15.1 billion won) with 144 players competing. Last year, The CJ Cup received the “Best Title Sponsor Integration” award from the PGA Tour, recognized for effectively combining CJ Group’s brand philosophy and lifestyle content with golf.
Wyndham Clark, who won this year’s tournament with a final total of 30-under 254, was presented with a Hangul trophy modeled after the Jikji Simche Yojeol and a specially crafted cowboy hat. The winner’s trophy, a symbol of The CJ Cup, is crafted in Hangul, inspired by the Jikji Simche Yojeol, the world’s oldest extant book printed with movable metal type. The names of past Byron Nelson tournament champions including Tiger Woods, Sam Snead, Jack Nicklaus and Ernie Els are engraved on it in Hangul. The winner also receives 500 FedEx Cup points, a two-year tour exemption, and qualification for the year’s signature events. Entry rights for next season’s Players Championship and major tournaments are also granted. Kim Si-woo, a member of “TEAM CJ” sponsored by CJ Group, finished as the runner-up.
