(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Sung Hye-mi = CJ Olive Young said on the 18th that the number of purchases made by foreign customers last year reached 3.7 million, adding that it has provided portable translators with real-time interpretation in 16 languages at stores nationwide to strengthen its service.

CJ Olive Young explained that the Olive Young store has become an essential shopping course among tourists visiting Korea thanks to K-Contents, and that it has a translator to provide better shopping services and specialized curations to foreign customers.

Last year, Olive Young's foreign sales increased by 660% compared to the previous year, and more than quadrupled compared to 2019, before COVID-19.

Sales surged as many global customers visited Gangnam, Seongsu, Busan, and Jeju in addition to traditional tourist areas such as Myeongdong, Hongik University, and Dongdaemun in Seoul.

Unlike in the past, when the proportion of Chinese visitors was large, it was analyzed that the customer base has diversified to Japan, Southeast Asia, the United States and the Middle East.

The portable translator in the Olive Young store supports simultaneous interpretation in 16 languages, including English, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Russian, and Mongolian.

There is also a real-time translation function using a camera installed on a translator. It recognizes photos or screenshots and translates content, making it easy and accurate to inform customers of products or ingredients they are looking for.

Frequently inquired questions and conversation records can be saved and utilized, and it can be operated without Wi-Fi to guide customers along the customer's route.

An official from Olive Young said, "We want to provide foreign customers with services where language is not a barrier," and added, "We hope that K-beauty small and medium-sized brands will be known to more people in countries and will be an opportunity to expand into the global market."