Kyobo Life sends 60 children of top agents to Canada for 22nd consecutive year

Kyobo Life announced Wednesday that it is running an 18-day "Canada English Language and Cultural Experience Program for Children of Outstanding Exclusive Financial Planners," which began Monday and runs through Aug. 6.

Sixty elementary, middle and high school students — children of top financial planners (FPs) selected from across the country — are taking part in the program. Participants attend a private school in Vancouver, Canada, where they take English classes tailored to their proficiency level and complete a global leadership curriculum, while staying with local host families to immerse themselves in North American language and culture.

The itinerary includes cultural excursions in Vancouver, a tour of Vancouver Island and a visit to the University of British Columbia, as well as an eco-friendly cleanup activity in the Lynn Valley area. The group also makes a two-night, three-day trip to Seattle, where they visit the University of Washington, Microsoft's headquarters, the Space Needle and Snoqualmie Falls.

Kyobo Life launched the program in 2004 as the first of its kind in the industry. It runs every summer in Canada and every winter in New Zealand, and cumulative participation has now reached roughly 3,100.

Behind 22 years of overseas study support is the "people-first" management philosophy of Shin Chang-jae, the company's chief executive and board chairman. Shin has long defined the essence of life insurance as helping neighbors through a spirit of mutual aid, and has emphasized that the satisfaction of the FPs who deliver that value in the field must come first.

Kyobo Life's agent retention rate stood at 49.4 percent last year, up 2.1 percentage points from the previous year and the highest among major life insurers. That contrasts with the industry-wide exclusive agent retention rate, which fell 1.2 percentage points year-on-year to 51.4 percent.

"The overseas language training program for FPs' children is the foundation that helps parents take pride in their work and dedicate themselves to their customers," a Kyobo Life official said. "When financial planners are satisfied, genuine customer protection follows naturally, so we will provide systematic support to help our FPs work with a sense of belonging and stability."