South Korea Ranks 4th Globally and 1st in Asia in Global Innovation Index

Ranked First Globally in Three Out of 78 Detailed Indicators

South Korea ranked fourth in the world in the Global Innovation Index.

The Korean Intellectual Property Office announced on the 16th that South Korea ranked fourth overall among 139 countries and first among Asian countries in the "2025 Global Innovation Index (GII)" released by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

The GII is an index that measures innovation capacity, a key driver of future economic development, among WIPO member countries. It is jointly compiled by WIPO, INSEAD (the European Institute of Business Administration), and Cornell University in the United States.

The index evaluates a total of 78 detailed indicators, combining input factors such as institutions, human capital and research, infrastructure, market sophistication, and business sophistication, as well as output factors such as knowledge and technology outputs and creative outputs. South Korea ranked fourth in input factors and sixth in output factors.

In particular, South Korea maintained its position as number one in the world for seven consecutive years in the human capital and research input category. Among the 78 detailed indicators, South Korea ranked first globally in three indicators, including patent applications relative to gross domestic product (GDP). The country also ranked third globally in international patent (PCT) applications and design applications relative to GDP.

Looking at the global rankings, Switzerland took the top spot, followed by Sweden and the United States. In Asia, after South Korea, China ranked 10th and Japan 12th.

Kim Wanki, Commissioner of the Korean Intellectual Property Office, stated, "The joint efforts of the government and private sector in nurturing talent and building infrastructure have led to the active creation and protection of intellectual property." He added, "Going forward, the Korean Intellectual Property Office will continue to support the effective utilization and stable protection of innovation outcomes."