INTERVIEW Insurance agent from Vietnam aims to become foreign insurance expert

Kim Kyeong-a, originally from Vietnam, has built a successful career in Korea as an insurance agent after marrying a Korean and becoming a naturalized Korean citizen in 2013.

Kim Kyeong-a, sales team leader at Hanwha Life Financial Service / Courtesy of Hanwha Life Insurance

After having overcome the biases associated with being a foreigner and the language barrier, the 34-year-old now manages around 2,000 clients as a sales team leader at the Gangil branch of Hanwha Life Financial Service, an insurance sales subsidiary of Hanwha Life Insurance.

In a recent interview with The Korea Times, Kim said one of the biggest challenges was the lack of a customer pool when she joined Hanwha in 2015. And now, her primary customers are Vietnamese residents living in Korea.

“When I first started, I had almost no customer base, which felt quite daunting,” she said.

“To expand the customer base, I have made efforts to seek out Vietnamese communities across the country, having visited nearly every location. In particular, I have conducted active outreach at restaurants, multicultural streets and markets.”

Her achievement receives particular attention at a time when Korean insurers are swiftly expanding services for international customers in response to saturation of the domestic market and the rapid growth of the foreign population.

Industry officials noted that the number of insurance agents of foreign nationality has been increasing consistently in recent years, with the ratio at major life insurers estimated at 2.5 percent of the total.

When including cases like Kim, who has been naturalized as a Korean national, the number of agents from foreign backgrounds increases even further. Officials noted, while there used to be many from China, there is a recent trend towards greater diversity in nationalities, including those from Vietnam.

She underscored that insurance agents with foreign backgrounds have strengths in attracting international customers as they deeply understand the challenges faced by people living in a foreign country.

“Drawing from our own experiences, we can approach international customers with sincerity and empathy. We are particularly aware of the necessity of insurance in the event of an accident or illness. These allow us to provide tailored consulting that fits international customers’ situations,” she said.

“Since many foreigners still do not fully recognize the importance of insurance, there is a greater need for insurance agents from diverse backgrounds.”

Kim said her goal is to receive the champion award, given to the agent with the highest sales performance, at her firm’s annual awards ceremony.

“To achieve this, I will provide consistent service to my clients, ensuring that I receive recognition from both customers and the company. I also aspire to build a reputation as a foreign insurance expert in Korea and to promote Korean insurance culture in Vietnam,” she said.

“Based on the experiences and expertise I have gained in Korea, I want to provide valuable consulting to Vietnamese clients and achieve success.”