The nation ranks sixth in the world in terms of technological development, but it still lags about five years behind the top-ranking countries.

In a report released on Thursday, the Korea Institute of Industrial Evaluation and Planning said that the nation holds global prowess in just nine out of eight-hundred-74 core technologies.

The report is based on a survey of nine thousand industrial experts between January and October this year.

According to the report, the nation received 76-point-eight points out of 100, ranking sixth among the countries surveyed.

The United States came first with 93-point-nine points, followed by Japan and three European countries each scoring around 90. China received 61-point-one points.

The nation holds number-one status in six technologies in the electrical and electronics industries, two in the information technology sector and one in machinery.