Korea Life Insurance Association holds 10th Golden Fellow certification ceremony

Selected from agents certified as outstanding five or more consecutive times

1,000 agents named this year, representing 0.83% of all life insurance agents

Policy retention rate reaches 93.6% at the 25th showing

(Front row, from left) Mirae Asset Life Insurance Golden Fellow Shin Mi-kyung, Mirae Asset Life Insurance CEO Hwang Mun-gyu, Kyobo Life Golden Fellow Yang Sim-sun, Kyobo Life CEO Jo Dae-gyu, Samsung Life Insurance Golden Fellow Lee Kyung-ho, Samsung Life Insurance CEO Hong Won-hak, Korea Life Insurance Association Chairman Kim Cheol-ju, Financial Services Commission Secretary General Shin Jin-chang, Hanwha Life Insurance CEO Lee Kyung-geun, Hanwha Life Insurance Golden Fellow Kim Gwang-im, Shinhan Life CEO Cheon Sang-yeong, Shinhan Life Golden Fellow Jeong In-taek, KB Life CEO Jeong Mun-cheol, KB Life Golden Fellow Kim Do-han. (Back row, from left) Fubon Hyundai Life Insurance Division Head Jeong Jin-uk, Fubon Hyundai Life Insurance Golden Fellow Geum Jae-nam, KDB Life Insurance Division Head Nam Gyu-hyeon, KDB Life Insurance Golden Fellow Kim Yeong-ok, AIA Life Insurance Executive Director Park Jong-hyeon, AIA Life Insurance Golden Fellow Kwon Gwang-suk, MetLife Insurance Executive Director Kim Dae-yeong, MetLife Insurance Golden Fellow Jo So-yeong, ABL Life Insurance CEO Gwak Hui-pil, ABL Life Insurance Golden Fellow Park Jeong-suk, Heungkuk Life Insurance Golden Fellow Hong Geum-ja, Heungkuk Life Insurance CEO Kim Hyeong-pyo, Tongyang Life Insurance Golden Fellow Jeong Sun-ae, Tongyang Life Insurance Division Head Hwang Mun-gyeom, DB Life Insurance Golden Fellow Seo Jeong-ae, DB Life Insurance Division Head Jeong Jin-seo, NH Life Insurance Golden Fellow Ji Jun-ok, NH Life Insurance Division Head Kim Gap-tae, and others pose for a commemorative photo after the 10th Golden Fellow handprinting ceremony. [Korea Life Insurance Association]
(Front row, from left) Mirae Asset Life Insurance Golden Fellow Shin Mi-kyung, Mirae Asset Life Insurance CEO Hwang Mun-gyu, Kyobo Life Golden Fellow Yang Sim-sun, Kyobo Life CEO Jo Dae-gyu, Samsung Life Insurance Golden Fellow Lee Kyung-ho, Samsung Life Insurance CEO Hong Won-hak, Korea Life Insurance Association Chairman Kim Cheol-ju, Financial Services Commission Secretary General Shin Jin-chang, Hanwha Life Insurance CEO Lee Kyung-geun, Hanwha Life Insurance Golden Fellow Kim Gwang-im, Shinhan Life CEO Cheon Sang-yeong, Shinhan Life Golden Fellow Jeong In-taek, KB Life CEO Jeong Mun-cheol, KB Life Golden Fellow Kim Do-han. (Back row, from left) Fubon Hyundai Life Insurance Division Head Jeong Jin-uk, Fubon Hyundai Life Insurance Golden Fellow Geum Jae-nam, KDB Life Insurance Division Head Nam Gyu-hyeon, KDB Life Insurance Golden Fellow Kim Yeong-ok, AIA Life Insurance Executive Director Park Jong-hyeon, AIA Life Insurance Golden Fellow Kwon Gwang-suk, MetLife Insurance Executive Director Kim Dae-yeong, MetLife Insurance Golden Fellow Jo So-yeong, ABL Life Insurance CEO Gwak Hui-pil, ABL Life Insurance Golden Fellow Park Jeong-suk, Heungkuk Life Insurance Golden Fellow Hong Geum-ja, Heungkuk Life Insurance CEO Kim Hyeong-pyo, Tongyang Life Insurance Golden Fellow Jeong Sun-ae, Tongyang Life Insurance Division Head Hwang Mun-gyeom, DB Life Insurance Golden Fellow Seo Jeong-ae, DB Life Insurance Division Head Jeong Jin-seo, NH Life Insurance Golden Fellow Ji Jun-ok, NH Life Insurance Division Head Kim Gap-tae, and others pose for a commemorative photo after the 10th Golden Fellow handprinting ceremony. [Korea Life Insurance Association]

The Korea Life Insurance Association held its 10th Golden Fellow certification ceremony Thursday at the Shilla Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul.

The Golden Fellow program was introduced in 2017 to mark the 10th anniversary of the association's outstanding certified agent recognition system. Agents who have received the outstanding certified life insurance agent designation five or more consecutive times are evaluated on criteria including length of service, policy retention rates and incomplete sales practices, with the top performers named Golden Fellows. The designation is considered the highest honor in the life insurance agent profession.

A total of 1,000 agents were named Golden Fellows this year — roughly 0.83% of the 120,813 life insurance agents nationwide, making it an exceptionally rare distinction. Even among this year's 11,460 outstanding certified life insurance agents, Golden Fellows account for only about 8.7%, meaning fewer than one in 10 top-rated agents makes the cut.

This year's Golden Fellows have worked at their respective life insurance companies for an average of 23.5 years. Their average annual income stands at 270.56 million won ($198,000). The association also said their policy retention rates are high, at 98.4% at the 13th showing and 93.6% at the 25th showing.

Korea Life Insurance Association Chairman Kim Cheol-ju said the trust built by insurance agents has driven the growth of the life insurance industry. "As digital technology and AI rapidly transform the way finance works, the value of a skilled insurance agent will only grow greater as the digital era deepens," he said.

Rep. Yoo Dong-su, chairman of the National Assembly's Political Affairs Committee and a Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker, said the decade-long continuation of the Golden Fellow program reflects the insurance industry's consistent efforts to earn consumer trust. "We ask that you continue to contribute to building a prosperous and safe society, grounded in trust, expertise and a strong sense of professional ethics," he said.

Financial Services Commission Secretary General Shin Jin-chang said the Golden Fellow certification "is a record that proves the depth of trust toward customers," and encouraged the honorees to help consumers make the right choices and receive the coverage they expect.


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