In a ranking of the "most influential countries in the world in 2025" chosen by a U.S. outlet, Korea beat France to place seventh.
The U.S. business outlet CEO World Magazine said on the 9th (local time) that Korea scored a composite 94.18 points to rank seventh among the "most influential countries." CEO World Magazine ranks 190 countries worldwide by comprehensively evaluating political stability, economic influence, defense budget, global alliances, cultural influence, and military power.
No. 1 was the United States with 95.36 points. The outlet said, "It has the world's largest advanced economy and capital markets, and a massive defense budget capable of projecting global military power," adding, "It plays a leading role in international organizations and maintains a dominant position in key technology fields." It also said, "It shapes global discourse through entertainment, digital platforms, higher education, and cultural exports," analyzing that "informal influence strengthens formal power."
China (94.86 points) and Russia (94.81 points) ranked second and third, respectively. Next were India (94.76 points) in fourth, the United Kingdom (94.56 points) in fifth, and Japan (94.31 points) in sixth. Following seventh-place Korea were France (93.55 points), Italy (93.3 points), Turkey (93.3 points), and Brazil (92.56 points). The outlet said, "These countries continue to shape the international order based on their industrial capacities, regional influence, and alliance networks."
To release this ranking, the outlet conducted a total of 296,400 global surveys by phone and online, and said it assigned scores by reflecting data from international organizations and economic research institutes along with the survey results.