Shinhan Bank will work with university students to improve older people’s access to digital financial services.

Shinhan Bank said on Monday it held a launch ceremony for the third cohort of Digital Financial Education Assistants at its digital financial consumer education centre, Shinhan Hakijae Incheon, in Namdong district, Incheon.

The Digital Financial Education Assistants programme is a university student-participation financial education initiative run by Shinhan Bank and Incheon National University’s Financial Consumer Protection Research Institute to spread a culture of digital financial inclusion. This year, 14 Incheon National University students were selected and began third-cohort activities.

The third-cohort assistants will provide training on using unmanned branches and mobile finance apps, education to prevent new types of financial fraud, community AI and digital education, and production of customised AI and digital finance content for older people.

This year, the programme will expand related education content such as dementia money and prevention of new types of financial fraud, reflecting recent financial issues. It will also take part in regular teaching at the AI and digital learning centre at Shinhan Hakijae Incheon and continue field-focused education activities.

Shinhan Bank will also strengthen cooperation with regional related institutions, including the National Information Society Agency, Incheon Metropolitan City Hall and the Incheon Metropolitan Council on Social Welfare.

A Shinhan Bank official said, "Through the Digital Financial Education Assistants programme and operation of Shinhan Hakijae, we are putting into practice the social responsibility of financial institutions to narrow the AI and digital divide." The official added, "We will do our best to build an inclusive financial environment and strengthen protection for financial consumers."