AFLAC Japan Celebrates 25th Anniversary.

COLUMBUS, Ga.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 12, 1999--

Second Most Profitable Foreign Company in Japan Kicks

Off Silver Anniversary Celebration

AFLAC Incorporated is celebrating the 25th anniversary of AFLAC Japan with a full day of festivities at its Japan branch, including presentations by top executives, a video history of AFLAC Japan and a commemorative concert.

In 1974, AFLAC (American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus) became the first American company in post-war Japan to receive permission to sell insurance in Japan. From its modest beginnings and an initial investment of $1.6 million, AFLAC Japan has grown and thrived, surviving the Asian economic crisis and several recessions while remaining the leading provider of supplemental insurance in Japan. Currently, AFLAC insures 25% of the Japanese population (approximately 30 million people), and is the third largest insurer in Japan in terms of policies in force.

"We are extremely pleased with our first 25 years in Japan," said Daniel P. Amos, president and CEO of AFLAC. "Although there are many reasons for our success in the Japanese marketplace, ultimately, I believe our success comes from our ability to combine our U.S. and Japanese expertise into a cohesive management approach. AFLAC Japan's management has been very effective in taking our U.S. products and marketing innovations and adapting them to Japan's market."

In 1998, AFLAC was named the most well-recognized non-Japanese financial services company in Japan. This year AFLAC was named the second most profitable foreign company operating in Japan in any industry. In addition, Nikkei Business magazine has named AFLAC the safest insurer in Japan for two consecutive years.

"For a quarter of a century we have grown rapidly by focusing on the needs of our customers, agents, employees and shareholders. We believe this emphasis, along with our many competitive strengths, will continue to enhance our growth in the future," said Hidefumi Matsui, president of AFLAC Japan.

One of AFLAC Japan's strengths is its distribution system. AFLAC's supplemental insurance products are sold through more than 32,600 licensed sales associates, representing 3,200 affiliated and independent corporate agencies and 3,800 individual agencies. More than 96% of the companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange offer AFLAC insurance products to their employees.

AFLAC Incorporated (NYSE:AFL) is an international holding company. A Fortune 500 company, AFLAC insures more than 40 million people worldwide. It is the leading underwriter of supplemental insurance marketed at the worksite in the United States, offering policies to employees at more than 140,000 payroll accounts. The company is also the largest foreign insurer in Japan. AFLAC is ranked as the number one insurance company to work for in Fortune magazine's 1999 list of "The 100 Best Companies to Work for in America." Additionally, AFLAC was ranked as the top insurance company in Forbes Global Business & Finance magazine's "A-plus List" of the world's best companies. AFLAC is a component of the Standard & Poor's 500 Index. AFLAC's Internet site address is aflac.com.