National Pension Service partners with Sejong University to train retirement planning experts

The National Pension Service signed an MOU with Sejong University's Graduate School of Public Policy on July 3 to train specialists in retirement preparation services, the agency announced Monday.

Under the agreement, the two institutions will provide education on the national pension system and retirement planning to graduate students at the school, and cooperate to develop expert personnel and deepen public understanding of the national pension.

As part of the MOU, the National Pension Service will support students in the school's senior industry department in obtaining the Certified Senior Advisor qualification — a credential for retirement counseling service providers — and will launch a regular course titled "Understanding Retirement Preparation."

The course will cover the four core areas of retirement planning — finance, health, leisure and interpersonal relationships — as well as counseling processes, and will be taught by certified retirement planning instructors affiliated with the National Pension Service.

The two institutions also plan to expand cooperation in research and development, public outreach and joint projects aimed at advancing retirement preparation services.

"The role of retirement planning specialists is critical in responding to rapid aging," said Lee Yeo-gyu, welfare director of the National Pension Service. "We will work to broaden the foundation for training such experts and contribute to strengthening the public's capacity to prepare for retirement."