"South Korea Surpasses France to Rank 7th Among World's Most Influential Countries... Who Is No. 1?"

The United States Tops the List with a Score of 95.36
China and Russia Rank Second and Third, Respectively

South Korea ranked 7th, surpassing France, in the list of the 'World's Most Influential Countries in 2025' selected by a U.S. media outlet.

Image to aid understanding of the article. Photo of Seoul. Pixabay

According to CEO World Magazine, a U.S. business media outlet, on December 9, South Korea scored 94.18 points, placing 7th out of 190 countries surveyed.

The United States took first place with 95.36 points, followed by China (94.86 points) and Russia (94.81 points) in second and third place, respectively. India (94.76 points), the United Kingdom (94.56 points), and Japan (94.31 points) followed, with France, Italy, and T?rkiye ranking after South Korea.

The media outlet explained that the United States, which ranked first, "possesses the world's largest advanced economy and an overwhelming capital market, as well as a massive defense budget that enables it to project military power globally."

It also noted, "The U.S. plays a leading role in international organizations and maintains dominance in key technology sectors," adding, "Its soft power, through global entertainment, digital platforms, higher education, and cultural exports, strengthens its official power with informal influence."

This ranking was calculated by comprehensively evaluating seven factors-political stability, economic influence, defense budget, weapons systems, global alliances, cultural influence, and military strength-across 190 countries worldwide.

The media outlet stated that it conducted approximately 296,000 global surveys via phone and online, and that the scores were determined by reflecting both the survey results and data from international organizations and economic research institutes.