NH Investment & Securities and Korea Economic Research Association Hold Policy Seminar on AI

Policy Seminar Explores "The Path Forward for the Financial Industry in the AI Era"

NH Investment & Securities announced that it held a policy seminar titled "The Path for the Financial Industry in the AI Era: Innovation, Trust, and Protection of Financial Consumers" on the 4th in Yeouido, Seoul, jointly with the Korea Economic Research Association. Jaeuk Shin, CEO of NH Investment & Securities, delivered the welcoming remarks. NH Investment & Securities

NH Investment & Securities announced that on August 4, 2026, it co-hosted a policy seminar titled "The Path Forward for the Financial Industry in the AI Era: Innovation, Trust, and Protection of Financial Consumers" with the Korea Economic Research Association in Yeouido, Seoul.

This event was organized to bring together academia, regulatory authorities, and industry to discuss the trust framework and policy direction for AI-driven finance, as financial judgment and execution is increasingly being handled by AI agents.

The first keynote speaker, Jongseob Lee, Professor at Seoul National University Business School, emphasized that, under current law, there are no designated parties accountable when proposals generated by AI result in an accident. Professor Lee identified a "responsibility gap"—wherein the chain of accountability disappears as decisions are made and executed by multiple AI agents—as the main risk in an era where AI agents undertake judgment and execution. He further stressed the need to shift AI financial regulations from a focus on "access restrictions" to "attributing responsibility."

Professor Lee attributed the lag in domestic AI financial competitiveness not to a lack of AI technology itself, but to structural issues such as rigid network separation regulations, legacy systems, a short-term performance-driven investment culture, and organizational inflexibility. He pointed out that existing regulations control only "data access," while the stages where risks actually arise—"data integration" and "data tracking"—remain unaddressed.

As policy alternatives, he proposed: ▲ an AI agent registration system (mandating ownership, authority, and audit record-keeping); ▲ proportional data access for institutions with proven control capabilities; ▲ macro-level supervision spanning the entire market (synchronization, joint stress tests); and ▲ a fully realized open banking system that allows individuals to reclaim personal data as assets.

The second keynote speaker, Heesoo Jung, Head of Hana Institute of Finance, observed that purchasing patterns for financial products are rapidly shifting from platform- and app-centered channels to AI-based comparison and search methods. She highlighted that, in addition to model, data, and security risks, compliance risks—directly related to financial accidents caused by errors—are becoming more prominent. As policy tasks, she proposed clarifying the legal status and scope of responsibility for AI platforms, distinguishing AI implementation standards according to the risks of each work area, and restructuring the Financial Consumer Protection Act to reflect AI-related risks.

Bongjoon Kim, Senior Investigator from the Financial Supervisory Service, emphasized the urgent need for social and institutional discussions regarding the permissible range of autonomy for AI agents. Yeonju Baek, Research Fellow at the Korea Institute of Finance, warned that as the primary point of contact for customers shifts to external AI platforms, big tech firms leading the way with vertical AI applications may increasingly encroach on the financial sector.

Jaeuk Shin, CEO of NH Investment & Securities, stated, "It was a meaningful event that fostered in-depth discussions on ensuring the coexistence of AI-based decision-making and consumer protection in finance."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.