Top 1% 'Life Insurance Kings': 1,000 Honored with 270 Million Won Average Annual Income

1,000 Named as 'Golden Fellow' by the Korea Life Insurance Association; Average Tenure Reaches 23.5 Years
Chairman Cheol-Joo Kim Encourages: "Even in the Age of AI, Insurance Remains a Human Endeavor"

This year, 1,000 insurance planners were selected for the "Golden Fellow," recognized as the highest honor among awards for top certified planners in the life insurance sector. Their average annual income amounts to 270.56 million won, and their average length of service stands at 23.5 years. They have shown outstanding results in both policy retention rates and complete sales performance.

On the 3rd, attendees at the 10th Golden Fellow Certification Ceremony hosted by the Life Insurance Association at the Shilla Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, are posing for a commemorative photo. Cheolju Kim, Chairman of the Life Insurance Association (sixth from the left in the front row), and Jinchang Shin, Secretary General of the Financial Services Commission (seventh from the left in the front row), were among those present. Life Insurance Association

The Korea Life Insurance Association announced on September 3 that it held the 10th Golden Fellow Certification Ceremony at the Shilla Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, under the theme “Golden Fellow You Can Trust, Life Insurance You Can Count On.” The event was attended by Cheol-Joo Kim, Chairman of the Korea Life Insurance Association; Jin-Chang Shin, Secretary General of the Financial Services Commission; Yoo Dongsoo, member of the National Assembly and Chairman of the National Policy Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea; and CEOs of major life insurance companies.

The Golden Fellow is a program introduced by the Korea Life Insurance Association in 2017 to mark the 10th anniversary of the Top Certified Planner system. To be selected, planners must have received consecutive certifications as top certified planners at least five times, with additional assessments based on their length of service, policy retention rates, income, contributions to their companies, and whether they have any cases of incomplete sales.

The 1,000 Golden Fellows selected this year represent about 0.83% of the total 120,813 life insurance planners nationwide. Among the 11,460 top certified planners in 2026, they account for approximately 8.7%.

Golden Fellows achieved remarkable results in policy retention rates. Their average retention rate for the 13th payment cycle (one year) is 98.4%, and for the 25th cycle (two years), it is 93.6%. There were zero cases of incomplete sales among this group.

The sales competitiveness of Golden Fellows is higher than that of top certified planners. The average length of registration for top certified planners is 17.7 years, with 13th and 25th cycle retention rates at 97.5% and 91.0%, respectively. Their average annual income is 142.64 million won, which is about half that of the Golden Fellows.

Chairman Kim stated, "Trust is the most important asset in the life insurance industry. The trust that insurance planners have built up over time has driven the history of growth in the life insurance industry."

He added, "Although digital technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) are rapidly transforming how financial services operate, understanding customers' lives and standing by them in difficult times ultimately remains a human responsibility. The value of an excellent insurance planner will only become greater as the digital age deepens."

Secretary General Shin also remarked, "Golden Fellow certification is proof of the depth of trust you have with your customers," urging, "Please continue to help consumers make sound choices and receive the coverage they expect."

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