South Korea's financial sector has entered full-scale competition for "running-specialized products" as the nation's running population is estimated to have exceeded 10 million. The approach involves offering interest rates and points based on exercise performance while reducing insurance premiums.
According to financial industry sources on Tuesday, major commercial banks are successively launching financial products linked to daily exercise habits, targeting runners.
Shinhan Bank released the "Shinhan Sneakers Savings" on May 27 with a limit of 100,000 accounts. The 12-month product allows monthly deposits of up to 300,000 won and offers interest rates of up to 7.5% annually based on running platform enrollment and payment activity. Shinhan Bank also revamped its running-specialized platform "Shinhan 20+ Run," launched in October last year, to provide financial benefits based on records for running at least 1 kilometer daily and support personalized distance analysis reports.
KB Kookmin Bank launched "Dallija," a new service combining running and finance, on its KB Star Banking app on May 27. Linked to health apps, the service provides points usable like cash for financial product subscriptions and prizes based on cumulative running distance. Additional running-related savings products are scheduled for release in the first half of this year.
Hana Bank's "Challenge 365 Savings" applies interest rates of up to 4.3% annually when customers achieve 3.65 million steps or more over 11 months after enrollment. Welcome Savings Bank's "Welbank Walking Savings" offers interest rates of up to 10.0% annually for accumulating 4 million steps over one year. Jeonbuk Bank also operates "JB Kakao Pay Walking Savings" linked to Kakao Pay's pedometer function, offering up to 7.0% annually.
The credit card industry has also begun targeting runners. KB Kookmin Card launched the running-specialized credit card "KB Marathon Card." The card offers 20% discounts on marathon entry fees and related products purchased through running platform "Runnable," and provides 5% discounts in spending categories related to outdoor exercise, including sports businesses, convenience stores, and hospitals and pharmacies.
The insurance industry is equally active. Customer health management can lower disease incidence rates, potentially improving loss ratios—the ratio of insurance payouts to premiums received. ABL Life Insurance operates a "health grade" model that comprehensively evaluates body mass index, blood pressure, and fasting blood glucose, offering discounts of up to 15% on primary contract premiums when grades improve. KB Insurance applies a "step count discount rider" to health and auto insurance, immediately reducing premiums when customers walk 5,000 steps or more daily for at least 50 of the past 90 days.
Behind the financial sector's rush to release healthcare financial products lies a mobile platform strategy. The calculation is to encourage customers to access apps daily through walking and running missions while securing quality customers who are proactive about self-management and have high spending power.
Meanwhile, according to a Gallup Korea survey, South Korea's running population is estimated to exceed 10 million as of 2025. The jogging and running experience rate jumped significantly from 23% in 2021 to 32% in 2023. Search volume for "running" increased 270% year-over-year in 2025, and "#runstagram" posts are spreading on social networking services. Analysis suggests that as "running crews" have become established, running has positioned itself as a lifestyle beyond just a casual hobby.