Hollys, the coffee business unit of South Korea’s KG Group, said Monday it will open its first outlet in Japan in the first half as part of its expansion strategy.

Hollys plans to set up a business entity in the neighbouring country to open the outlet at the Marui Department Store in Namba, Osaka, the company said in a statement.

“The company is planning to open more stores in other major Japanese cities and in other countries as well,” the statement said.

Hollys began its operations in Korea in 1998 and currently has 550 outlets across the nation. It has previously expanded under franchise agreements in markets including China, Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia.

KG Group’s businesses range from chemicals, steel-making and car manufacturing, to logistics services. It has KG Mobility Corp, formerly SsangYong Motor Co, under its wing.

This story was originally published by Yonhap, via Korea Bizwire.