President Moon: "2021 Global Innovation Index, Proudly Ranked 1st in Asia"

SNS: "Proud News from New York... South Korea Ranks 5th Globally in Innovation Index"

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min] "I heard news to be proud of from New York. South Korea ranked 5th in the world in the '2021 Global Innovation Index' announced by the United Nations' World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). It is behind Switzerland, Sweden, the United States, and the United Kingdom. In Asia, it proudly holds the 1st place."

President Moon Jae-in conveyed the result of South Korea's vertical rise in the Global Innovation Index through a social networking service (SNS) message on the 20th. President Moon emphasized, "It rose five ranks from 10th place last year, and it is also the first time to be number one in Asia."

President Moon evaluated, "Among the top 20 countries in innovation capability, it achieved the greatest rise, and WIPO praised it as a 'Spectacular Jump!' This has firmly established the status of 'Innovation Powerhouse South Korea.'"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

President Moon explained, "In particular, South Korea ranked first in the world for three consecutive years in the 'Human Capital and Research' sector, which is evaluated as an investment for the future, and also ranked first in nine detailed indicators including patent applications relative to GDP, government online services, and the proportion of high-tech exports."

President Moon said, "This is an achievement of our bold innovation and future preparation amid difficult conditions both inside and outside, such as COVID-19. It is a result achieved by the combination of advanced industries like semiconductors and secondary batteries, Hallyu culture such as K-pop and K-movies, R&D investment and IT infrastructure, the government's innovation growth policies including the Digital New Deal, and private sector technological innovation."

President Moon pledged, "South Korea will leap forward as a definite leading country through continuous innovation, and we will also play a leading role in overcoming the COVID-19 crisis and addressing global challenges such as the climate crisis."