Korea Ranks 6th as the World's Most Powerful Country, Surpassing Japan... Climbs Two Spots

South Korea Drops from 8th to 6th, Japan from 6th to 8th in One Year
1st is US, 2nd and 3rd are China and Russia

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] In a survey conducted by a U.S. current affairs weekly that evaluated military, economic, and diplomatic power combined, South Korea ranked 6th last year, surpassing Japan.

The U.S. US News & World Report (USNWR) announced the results of this survey, which covered 85 countries, on the 31st of last month (local time). South Korea's ranking rose two places from 8th the previous year.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

USNWR described South Korea as "an advanced technology and service-based economy that became the first beneficiary of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Development Assistance Committee funds and later became a donor of those funds due to successful foreign investment." It added, "Since the 1960s, it has experienced steady growth and poverty reduction, and is now overall one of the world's largest economies," and evaluated that "it holds the world's largest national savings and foreign investment reserves."

The survey ranked the United States first. China and Russia followed in 2nd and 3rd place, respectively. The publication described the U.S. as "the world's most dominant economic and military power," and "at the same time, it leads a significant portion of popular culture expressed through music, movies, and television, exerting influence worldwide."

Regarding China, it was evaluated as "one of the fastest-growing major economies in the world since former leader Deng Xiaoping implemented reforms in 1978." Russia was described as "one of the world's largest economic powers based on vast natural resources," and "one of the world's largest military arms exporters after the U.S."

Germany ranked 4th, and the United Kingdom 5th. France was 7th, Japan 8th, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) 9th, and Israel 10th. Japan, which was 6th last year, dropped two places, swapping positions with South Korea.

A country that drew significant attention in this survey was Ukraine. Ukraine's ranking surged from 33rd the previous year to 14th. The publication noted, "It is currently receiving tremendous political and military support from the European Union (EU), the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and countries including the United States, and is widely celebrated for its resistance against Russia." However, it added, "Its population, cities, and industries have been destroyed due to the invasion, and rebuilding will take decades."

This survey is conducted annually by USNWR, which surveys 17,000 people across 85 countries worldwide on national influence, including politics, economy, and military power.