The financial planning industry is moving in earnest to build a "Korean-style financial planning" model that reflects the country's asset, tax, and pension structures while maintaining the universality of global standards. The shift from a product-sales-centered structure to a comprehensive lifetime asset management system is gaining momentum.
The Korea Financial Planning Association said Tuesday that it had successfully concluded the "2026 Korea FP Association-Korea Financial Planning Association Spring Joint Symposium" held in Yeouido, Seoul.
At the symposium held on the 15th under the theme "The Leap of Personal Financial Planning: Tasks for Establishing Korean-Style Financial Planning," experts agreed that "based on the achievements of the past 20-plus years, this is the time to rigorously review the current system and establish an independent model that reflects Korea's distinctive characteristics."
Kim Byung-tae, head of the Korea Financial Planning Association, stressed that "when you survey overseas financial planning markets, they did not develop into the same model; rather, while maintaining the principles of financial planning, each has localized characteristics suited to its country's situation." He explained that domestic financial planning is mixed up with a product-sales focus, causing continued confusion among consumers, so a new model suited to Korea's institutions and environment is needed.
Accordingly, Kim presented three core components of Korean-style financial planning—Frame, Platform, and AFPK Professional—and argued for the necessity of an integrated structure encompassing everything from standard-setting to field practice.
The fact that the financial planning market is changing rapidly is expected to add speed to building such a Korean-style model. The market, once centered on individuals (B2C), is expanding into the corporate and public sectors (B2B and B2G), and services that once centered on free consultations are gradually shifting toward a paid consulting market.
Yoo Ho-sil, a CFP (Certified Financial Planner) at Korea Financial Planning, cited comprehensive financial knowledge, multidisciplinary expertise, organizational collaboration ability, and digital tool utilization ability as the capabilities required of financial planners in the changing market environment. She especially stressed that building trust with clients and managing long-term relationships at each stage—before, during, and after consultation—is becoming increasingly important.
The need for changes in the education system to train experts was also raised. Cho Hye-jin, a professor at Incheon National University, explained that global financial planning education is changing around the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and technology, the strengthening of practical capabilities, human-centered education, and academic independence.
Cho introduced the "Korean-style AI-based five-stage financial planning education model" that she developed herself, saying, "The Korean-style model must go beyond knowledge transfer to accompany the ability to design and execute clients' financial decisions." The model is an expert training model that begins with stage one, consumer and financial literacy, followed by stage two, integrated planning (investment, taxes, retirement, risk, and inheritance); stage three, financial psychology and counseling; stage four, AI financial planning and data analysis; and stage five, specialization (taxation, retirement, and asset management).
This symposium holds great significance in that academia, industry, and related institutions such as the Korea Financial Planning Association and the Korea FP Association gathered in one place to confirm the shared goal of building a "Korean-style financial planning ecosystem." In particular, as demand for financial planning expands rapidly amid trends of super-aging and the popularization of investment, an overall reshaping of the related ecosystem is expected to accelerate.
Choi Moon-hee, president of the Korea Financial Planning Association, said, "We are building a 'Korean-style financial planning process' that actively adopts international standards in the financial planning field while precisely reflecting the special characteristics of the domestic financial environment and market," adding, "We are fully reflecting these new standards and execution criteria in AFPK textbooks and educational content."
Kim Min-jung, president of the Korea FP Association, said, "I hope this symposium will serve as a foundation for improving the constitution of the financial planning industry and creating a more mature and sustainable financial ecosystem."
