Korea’s technology level in 95 key areas is 5.4 years behind that of the United States, a government report showed Thursday.

The report by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology showed the country‘s technological prowess standing at 60.2 percent of so-called ultimate technology, or the highest possible technological level that can be reached at present with 100 percent being the highest number that can be attained.

Under this measurement scheme, the U.S. had an ultimate technology level of 78.7 percent, followed by 75.0 percent for the European Union (EU) and 73.0 percent for Japan, according to the report.

Besides trailing the U.S, Korea was 4.5 years behind the EU and 3.8 years behind Japan. The country, however, was 2.5 years ahead of China, which had a technology level of 51.7 percent.

Compared to the first time that the ministry and the Korea Institute of S&T Evaluation and Planning compiled the upper limit technology comparison report in 2008, the country’s numbers rose

3.8 percentage points.

The report compiled by surveying 2,000 local experts also showed Korea leading the world in such areas as large organic light emitting diodes and active-matrix organic light-emitting diodes.

“Overall, the country received its highest marks in the information technology, electronics and communications areas, where its upper limit technology numbers reached 67.9 percent,” the ministry said.

Seoul plans to conduct similar surveys every two years to check the progress made by the country in vital technology areas. 

(Yonhap News)