Cheong "South Korea Ranks 17th Among 163 Countries in 'Best Countries to Live'" (Comprehensive)

Survey by US Social Progress Organization... Korea's Ranking Rises Amid COVID-19, Tops in Information and Communication Accessibility

[Asia Economy reporters Ryu Jeong-min and Kim Dong-pyo] The Blue House announced that South Korea ranked 17th out of 163 countries in the 2020 Social Progress Index (SPI) survey conducted by the U.S. Social Progress Imperative. This is the highest ranking since 2014. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, South Korea's ranking rose while major countries' rankings declined.

On the afternoon of the 16th, Blue House spokesperson Kang Min-seok stated at a briefing in the Press Hall, "Our country ranked 17th out of 163 countries in the 2020 Social Progress Index (SPI) survey conducted by the U.S. Social Progress Imperative," adding, "Whether 17th place is a satisfactory result or not may vary in evaluation, but what is meaningful is that it is the highest ranking since 2014."

Spokesperson Kang evaluated, "Although the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and its resurgence have been very difficult for the people, it means that we have still been taking a step forward toward becoming a better country."

The view of Cheongwadae from Namsan, Seoul on the 11th. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

This survey determines rankings based on 12 evaluation indicators related to three themes: Basic Human Needs, Wellbeing, and Opportunity. First, the Basic Human Needs category includes nutrition and medical care, water and sanitation, housing, and personal safety as evaluation items.

Spokesperson Kang said, "South Korea ranked 19th in nutrition and medical care, 26th in water and sanitation, 32nd in housing, and 5th in personal safety."

The Wellbeing category includes basic knowledge, access to information and communication, health and wellness, and environmental quality as evaluation items. Kang explained, "Basic knowledge access is ranked 26th, access to information and communication is 1st, health and wellness is 5th, and environmental quality is 80th."

The Opportunity category includes personal rights, personal freedom and choice, inclusion of social minorities, and access to higher education as evaluation items. Kang said, "Personal rights are ranked 25th, personal freedom and choice 30th, inclusion of social minorities 39th, and access to higher education 3rd."

In particular, Kang emphasized, "The 1st place ranking in access to information and communication reflects South Korea’s status as an ICT (Information and Communication Technology) powerhouse, receiving high evaluations for online government accessibility and mobile phone subscription rates," adding, "The rankings of 3rd in higher education, 5th in personal safety, and 5th in health and wellness are not significantly different from what the public perceives."

However, Kang acknowledged, "The fact that environmental quality ranked only 80th is a painful point for the government. This low ranking somewhat dragged down the overall ranking. However, I would like to inform you that there was a 12-step improvement from 92nd place last year," and pledged, "We will do our best to make the country a better place to live."

Kang said, "Due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and its resurgence, many citizens, including small business owners and self-employed individuals, are experiencing difficulties. (President Moon Jae-in) stated at the Blue House senior secretaries meeting on the 14th that we will find a way for COVID-19 prevention and the economy to go hand in hand to protect the lives of the people. As he said, the tasks to make a better country are clear. We will steadily carry out what needs to be done."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.