HF and Japan Housing Finance Agency Co-Host 2026 International Housing Finance Conference

- Housing finance experts from across Asia discuss “Demographic Change and the Future of Housing Finance” 

Korea Housing Finance Corporation (HF, CEO Kyung-Hwan Kim) announced on September 4 that it co-hosted the 2026 International Housing Finance Conference with Japan Housing Finance Agency (JHF)* at the Korea Federation of Banks Building in Myeong-dong, Seoul.

* JHF is an independent administrative corporation established in 2007 with Japanese government funding to implement housing finance policies. It operates mortgage securitization programs supporting long-term, fixed-rate home loans and offers reverse mortgage products.

The conference, held under the theme “Demographic Change and the Future of Housing Finance,” brought together housing finance experts from Korea, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, and other Asian countries for lively discussions.

In his opening remarks, HF CEO Kyung-Hwan Kim said, “I hope this conference will provide a meaningful opportunity for Asian countries to share their insights and work together to find solutions to demographic change. We will continue to strengthen an inclusive and sustainable housing finance system that serves all generations and regions, ensuring that no particular generation or region is left behind amid demographic change.”

In his congratulatory remarks, Yo-Seop Jeon, Director General of the Financial Policy Bureau at the Financial Services Commission (FSC), said, “In response to changing conditions, we must focus on maintaining stability in the housing and financial markets and providing housing finance tailored to different stages of life. Limited financial resources must be directed where they are needed, and the scope of housing finance must expand to encompass housing stability throughout people’s lives.”

Amid Demographic Change, a Growing Need for Policy Finance, Including Expanded Home Pension

In his keynote address, Man Cho, Professor at KDI-Sogang University, emphasized the growing importance of policy finance in expanding retirement income supplements such as Home Pension and supporting housing stability across different stages of life, particularly as demographic changes, including declining birthrates and population aging, accelerate.

He also recommended that public institutions such as HF take a more proactive approach to delivering personalized housing finance services, including the introduction of big data- and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven fintech mortgages. 

Housing Finance Across the Life Cycle: Lessons from Japan

Jin-Baek Park, Associate Research Fellow at Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements (KRIHS), delivered the first presentation, entitled “The Impact of Demographic Transition on the Real Estate Market and Future Challenges.” He examined how population decline and aging are reshaping household structures and macroeconomic conditions and how these changes affect the real estate market. He also emphasized the need to expand long-term public rental housing for young people and provide broader support to help older homeowners convert their housing assets into liquid funds.

Song-Hee Bang, Senior Research Fellow at HF Research Institute, presented “The Role of Housing Finance and Policy Challenges in Addressing Housing Risks Across the Life Cycle.” She emphasized the role of housing finance in providing timely support for housing risks at each stage of life and helping households maintain stable housing. She also called for proactive institutional support to help households adjust their home size and debt levels appropriately before retirement to reduce their repayment burden after retirement.

Tadayori Nakao, Director at the Housing Bureau of Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), delivered the final presentation on “Housing Policy and Housing Finance in Japan.” Drawing on Japan’s experience with population aging, which began earlier than in Korea, he outlined policy approaches to demographic change. These included developing a housing market that facilitates home transactions, relocation, and renovations; making use of vacant homes; and creating housing environments tailored to older adults living alone.

Asian Experts Discuss the Future Direction of Housing Finance

Following the presentations, a panel discussion was moderated by Young-Do Kim, Senior Research Fellow at Korea Institute of Finance. Panelists included ▲ Kameel Abdul Halim, President of Malaysia’s Cagamas,* and ▲ Victor Allan Hilao, Vice President of the Philippines’ National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation (NHMFC).** They were joined by ▲ In-Do Hwang, Head of the Monetary and Financial Research Division at the Bank of Korea’s Economic Research Institute; ▲ Sung-Wook Park, Senior Research Fellow at Korea Institute of Finance; and ▲ Yuji Date, Director at JHF.

 * Cagamas Berhad is a Malaysian government-backed housing finance institution established in 1986 to promote homeownership and develop the mortgage securitization market.

 ** NHMFC (National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation) is a Philippine government-owned housing finance corporation established in 1977 to support mortgage securitization.

Korea and Japan Strengthen Cooperation for Sustainable Housing Finance

Ahead of the conference, HF and JHF signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) to advance collaboration in the development of the housing finance markets and policies in both countries. Manabu Takahashi, Executive Director of JHF, said, “Beyond co-hosting this conference, we will work to maintain ongoing cooperation and exchanges, including policy consultations and personnel exchanges.”

HF CEO Kyung-Hwan Kim added, “As Korea and Japan are experiencing similar demographic changes, sharing our experiences will be highly valuable in helping both countries respond effectively to these challenges.”

Kazuyoshi Onishi, Minister for Economic Affairs at the Embassy of Japan in Korea, who attended the event to offer his congratulations, said, “I hope the partnership between the two institutions will continue to grow and endure, contributing to friendship and prosperity between Korea and Japan.”

※ Attachment: Photo from the 2026 International Housing Finance Conference

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HF CEO Kyung-Hwan Kim delivers opening remarks at the 2026 International Housing Finance Conference, held on September 4 at the Korea Federation of Banks Building in Myeong-dong, Seoul, under the theme “Demographic Change and the Future of Housing Finance.”