Kyobo Life Insurance Tops Short- and Long-Term Returns for Principal Non-Guaranteed Retirement Pension Products in Q1

DC Product Records 26.15% One-Year Return, IRP Posts 26.35% for Second Place

Top-Tier Performance in Seven- and Ten-Year Long-Term Returns

Strong Results Driven by Retirement Pension ETF Investments and Robo-Advisor Services

Kyobo Life Insurance announced on April 30 that it ranked first in both short- and long-term returns for principal non-guaranteed products among the top 15 retirement pension providers in terms of reserves for the first quarter. The company once again demonstrated its stable management capabilities by achieving strong results in the principal non-guaranteed category for retirement pensions this quarter, following a solid performance in the previous quarter.

The exterior view of Kyobo Life Insurance headquarters in Gwanghwamun, Jongno-gu, Seoul. Kyobo Life Insurance

Kyobo Life Insurance has maintained balanced performance, not only recording the highest one-year short-term return in the industry but also achieving top-tier results in the seven- and ten-year long-term return categories.

Over the past year, the principal non-guaranteed defined contribution (DC) product delivered a return of 26.15%, placing Kyobo Life Insurance first among the top 15 providers, while the individual retirement pension (IRP) product posted a return of 26.35%, ranking second.

The company also delivered strong mid- to long-term results. Over the past seven years, the principal non-guaranteed DC product posted an annualized return of 7.52%, ranking second, while the IRP product achieved 6.95%, ranking first. For the ten-year annualized return, both the DC product (5.44%) and the IRP product (5.23%) held the top position, further proving Kyobo Life Insurance’s long-term management capabilities.

Kyobo Life Insurance has focused on mid- to long-term return management, rather than chasing short-term gains, relying on more than 40 years of experience in managing retirement pension products. Rather than seeking temporary results driven by market conditions, the company has distinguished itself from banks and securities firms by selecting products and managing portfolios from a long-term perspective, aiming for stable asset growth.

The factors behind these results include independent investment in retirement pension exchange-traded funds (ETFs), a digital-based robo-advisor service for retirement pensions, and a systematic product selection process that combines investment experts with robo-advisory services.

Kyobo Life Insurance has established an open lineup system for ETFs, which are highly popular in the retirement pension market, offering more than 700 ETF products and supplying products that meet customer needs in a timely manner.

To make ETF investments more accessible for subscribers, the company has built various systems. The 'ETF Deposit Product Selection' system allows for the pre-designated purchase of ETFs when funds are regularly deposited into accounts, while the 'ETF Automatic Product Change' system enables regular, scheduled investment of lump sums into ETFs. Both have received positive responses from customers.

The company is also strengthening its digital-based services. By utilizing robo-advisors, Kyobo Life Insurance provides market analysis materials and recommended portfolios, and sends a monthly investment guide containing the latest product information via notification messages to help customers manage their assets more efficiently. According to internal analysis, as of the end of February, customers who subscribed to the robo-advisor service achieved annual returns more than 10 percentage points higher than those who did not use the service.

Kyobo Life Insurance combines assessments by external professional institutions with internal research and big data analysis to select outstanding funds. The company comprehensively reflects performance and volatility indicators for at least three years to identify investment products expected to generate stable, long-term returns. Portfolios are customized to each customer’s investment profile and life stage, and ongoing rebalancing is proposed in response to market changes, demonstrating a strong commitment to post-investment management.

Youngmi Moon, Head of Corporate Business Division at Kyobo Life Insurance, stated, "Our ability to deliver strong results not only in short-term but also in seven- and ten-year long-term returns is the result of consistently adhering to customer-centered management principles." She added, "We will continue to contribute to the growth of our customers' retirement assets by balancing stability and profitability in asset management and providing differentiated consulting."

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