South Korea ranked as the 12th best country to be in during the COVID-19 pandemic among 53 countries in the world.

According to Bloomberg's Covid Resilience Ranking, the nation ranked 12th in January, down four notches from the previous month.

Bloomberg introduced the ranking in November last year, when the country ranked fourth.

The ranking, updated on a monthly basis, measures 53 economies of more than 200 billion dollars on key metrics including the growth in virus cases, overall mortality rate, testing capabilities and vaccine supply agreements.

The recent drop in South Korea's ranking is mainly attributed to low scores in vaccine-related categories, as the country's vaccination program has yet to begin.

New Zealand retained the top place, followed by Singapore, Australia, Taiwan, China, Norway, Finland and Japan.