Seoul strengthens its position as a global financial city... Fintech Week opens on the 26th

[Financial News] A global fintech event where attendees can explore changes in the financial industry—including how artificial intelligence (AI) analyzes personal financial information to provide personalized services—will be held in Seoul. The event will go beyond discussions of financial technology innovation, also offering support to promising startups in securing investment, commercializing their businesses and recruiting talent. The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 25th that it will hold ‘Seoul Fintech Week 2026’ for three days, from the 26th to the 28th, at Conrad Seoul in Yeouido and in the area around the International Finance Center (IFC).
This year’s event, co-hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the Financial Supervisory Service and Shinhan Financial Group, among others, will be held under the theme ‘AX-Based Digital Finance Transformation: Finance That Knows Me.’ It will explore how financial services are evolving to meet individual needs in line with the shift to AI transformation (AX), and seek ways for domestic and international financial companies to collaborate.
On the first day, the 26th, following opening remarks by Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, an awards ceremony will be held for the ‘Finovation Challenge,’ jointly organized by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Shinhan Financial Group. The program helps companies test technology in real-world financial settings and improve its prospects for commercialization. This year, three outstanding companies will be selected and awarded from among the six participating companies.
Kakao Pay CEO Shin Won-geun will deliver the event’s keynote address, outlining the direction in which AI agents that use individuals’ financial data are developing. The expert panel that follows will discuss AI transformation and service innovation in the financial sector. Participants will include representatives from Asian Fintech Association (AFA) member economies such as Hong Kong and Singapore, as well as Michael Mainelli, chairman of the UK financial consultancy Z/Yen Group.
Programs to support the growth of fintech companies will also run during the event. Promotional booths featuring about 21 companies will be set up on the 26th and 27th, while the recruitment zone will connect companies with job seekers in advance and hold one-on-one, in-person interviews.
On the second day, the 27th, two demo-day sessions will be held, where startups will present their technology and business models to investors. The Second Seoul Fintech Lab, together with NAVER Cloud, will host presentations by six companies and offer outstanding companies support for securing a place in the lab, cloud-use benefits and other assistance. At an event jointly run by the Seoul Fintech Lab and the Industrial Bank of Korea, 12 companies will seek investment and receive support for technology validation and opportunities to collaborate with financial institutions.
On the final day, the 28th, seminars will cover topics including the development of AI agents, the tokenization of financial assets and stablecoins. A personal finance lecture for the public will also introduce asset management strategies and changes in the financial environment in the age of AI.
The event is free to attend, and some programs will be streamed live on the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s official YouTube channel.
Kim Hyun-woo, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Economic Affairs Office, said, “Seoul is strengthening its competitiveness as a global financial city, ranking seventh in the world in both overall financial competitiveness and fintech in the Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI). We will continue to strengthen the foundations of the financial industry and actively support the growth of fintech companies, while expanding cooperation among financial institutions, companies and investors to become a global financial hub.”

[email protected] Seong Cho-rong Reporter