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🇰🇷 South Korea /Technology

Soongsil University and Welcome Financial Group launch digital finance AI master’s program

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Press release Official statement New plan
  • Soongsil University and Welcome Financial Group will launch a contract-based master’s program in Digital Finance AI in September 2026.
  • The evening and weekend program will train employees to apply AI technologies to financial services while they continue working.
  • Courses will cover generative AI, financial-sector large language models, AI governance, data platforms, regulation and AI agent design.

Soongsil University will establish a new master’s program designed to bring artificial intelligence training directly into the financial workplace. The university said it will operate the Digital Finance AI department with Welcome Financial Group from September 2026.

The program will serve Welcome Financial Group employees through an industry-sponsored contract department under South Korea’s Higher Education Act. It is designed as a work-based master’s course, allowing employees to continue their jobs while building specialized AI skills. The two institutions began discussing the department in 2025 and completed the Education Ministry reporting process before signing a memorandum of understanding on Sept. 1, 2026.

Generative AI is redesigning financial products, risk management and the entire customer interface.

· Jang Kyung-namSoongsil’s academic vice president described the changes driving the new program.

Classes will take place on weekday evenings from 7 p.m. to 9:50 p.m. and on Saturdays. Students must complete at least 24 credits over four semesters, pass a comprehensive examination and submit a graduation thesis to earn a master’s degree.

The Digital Finance AI department will bring real-world problems into the classroom and develop people who understand both finance and AI.

· Jang Kyung-namHe explained the program’s practical focus.

The first semester will cover AI business strategy and financial applications, practical uses of generative AI, data-based decision-making and AI service architecture. Later courses will address financial-sector large language models, AI governance and regulatory responses, AI organization management, financial data-platform strategy, standards for using generative AI under financial regulations, and the design and operation of AI agents.

Faculty from Soongsil’s AI and business programs will participate, including specialists in AI security, natural language processing, foundation models, edge AI, digital marketing and information security. The university said the department will expand its practical AI education and research links with the financial industry. Soongsil Academic Vice President Jang Kyung-nam said generative AI is reshaping financial products, risk management and customer-facing services. Welcome Savings Bank executive Lim Hyun-sik said the company would continue supporting employees as they develop expertise through the degree program.

AI transformation is not a task for a particular organization, but a company-wide capability issue.

· Lim Hyun-sikThe Welcome Savings Bank executive described the company’s rationale for supporting employee training.
About this summary

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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