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Takaaki Matsumoto Named Aflac Japan Marketing Director

Feb 16, 2006 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- Aflac Incorporated today announced the promotion of Takaaki Matsumoto to senior vice president; director of marketing for Aflac Japan. In his new position, he will be responsible for Aflac Japan's overall marketing strategy, including product development and sales promotion. Matsumoto has served in various marketing and sales positions since joining Aflac Japan in 1975. Previous marketing and sales director Atsushi Yagai will retain his position of executive vice president of Aflac Japan, and will serve in an advisory capacity. Yagai joined Aflac Japan in 2001.

Matsumoto will work closely with Hisayuki Shinkai, who was promoted last year to senior vice president; director of sales. Prior to joining Aflac Japan in 1999, Shinkai worked for Long Term Credit Bank of Japan, Ltd. He is responsible for sales activities as well as agency and sales associate relations. He is also leading Aflac Japan's preparations for the liberalization of the bank sales channel, which is expected at the end of 2007.

Commenting on the announcement, Aflac Japan President Akitoshi Kan said: "With these management changes, I believe we've strengthened our marketing and sales areas. I also believe we are positioned to achieve our sales target of a 5% to 8% increase in 2006, and to capture the many opportunities that lay ahead in Japan's insurance marketplace."

Daniel P. Amos, chairman and chief executive officer, added, "I believe the experience and enthusiasm of both Matsumoto and Shinkai will benefit our marketing and sales activities, and I look forward to their contributions this year and beyond. At the same time, I appreciate the efforts and dedication of Atsushi over the last four years. I remain convinced that Japan is an ideal market for our products. And I believe our marketing and sales team will help us maintain our market leadership in Japan."

For 50 years, Aflac products have given policyholders the opportunity to direct cash where it is needed most when a life-interrupting medical event causes financial challenges. Aflac is the number one provider of guaranteed- renewable insurance in the United States and the number one insurance company in terms of individual insurance policies in force in Japan. Aflac's insurance products provide protection to more than 40 million people worldwide. Aflac has been included in both in Fortune magazine's listing of America's Most Admired Companies and Forbes magazine's Platinum 400 List of America's Best Big Companies for five consecutive years. In January 2005, Aflac was included in Fortune magazine's list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America for the seventh consecutive year. Aflac was also included in Fortune magazine's list of the Top 50 Employers for Minorities in August 2005, and in September 2005, Aflac Japan was named the Life Insurance Company of the Year at the Asia Insurance Industry Awards, sponsored by the Asia Insurance Review. Aflac Incorporated (NYSE: AFL) is a Fortune 500 company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AFL.

The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a "safe harbor" to encourage companies to provide prospective information, so long as those informational statements are identified as forward-looking and are accompanied by meaningful cautionary statements identifying important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those included in the forward-looking statements. We desire to take advantage of these provisions. This document contains cautionary statements identifying important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected herein, and in any other statements made by company officials in oral discussions with the financial community and contained in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Forward-looking statements are not based on historical information and relate to future operations, strategies, financial results or other developments. Furthermore, forward- looking information is subject to numerous assumptions, risks, and uncertainties. In particular, statements containing words such as "expect," "anticipate," "believe," "goal," "objective," "may," "should," "estimate," "intends," "projects," "will," "assumes," "potential," "target," or similar words as well as specific projections of future results, generally qualify as forward-looking. Aflac undertakes no obligation to update such forward-looking statements.

We caution readers that the following factors, in addition to other factors mentioned from time to time in our reports filed with the SEC, could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements: legislative and regulatory developments; assessments for insurance company insolvencies; competitive conditions in the United States and Japan; new product development and customer response to new products and new marketing initiatives; ability to attract and retain qualified sales associates; ability to repatriate profits from Japan; changes in U.S. and/or Japanese tax laws or accounting requirements; credit and other risks associated with Aflac's investment activities; significant changes in investment yield rates; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; deviations in actual experience from pricing and reserving assumptions including, but not limited to, morbidity, mortality, persistency, expenses, and investment yields; level and outcome of litigation; downgrades in the company's credit rating; changes in rating agency policies or practices; subsidiary's ability to pay dividends to parent company; ineffectiveness of hedging strategies used to minimize the exposure of our shareholders' equity to foreign currency translation fluctuations; catastrophic events; and general economic conditions in the United States and Japan.

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