South Korea has the highest trade surplus in the IT sector among the 30 member states of the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

The OECD Science, Technology and Industry Scoreboard 2005 released in October shows only eight OECD countries posted a surplus in the IT sector. South Korea led all nations in the sector, which accounted for 15.6 percent of the nation's manufacturing trade surplus in 2003.

South Korea's IT sector in 2003 took up 15.6 percent of the nation's manufacturing trade surplus and 28 percent of the commodity trade surplus, both OECD highs.

The OECD average was pegged at 13 percent.

South Korea was also tops in broadband penetration with 86 percent for households and 92 percent for firms wired, with the Netherlands a distant second. A fourth of South Korea's population of 48 million are broadband subscribers.