Its massive investment in education has taken the country from mass illiteracy to a major international technological powerhouse. The country's national economy benefits from a highly skilled workforce and is among the most educated countries in the world with one of the highest percentages of its citizens holding a tertiary education degree. South Korea's economy was one of the world's fastest-growing from the early 1960s to the late 1990s, and was still one of the fastest-growing developed countries in the 2000s, along with Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan, the other three Asian Tigers. It recorded the fastest rise in average GDP per capita in the world between 1980 and 1990. South Koreans refer to this growth as the Miracle on the Han River. The South Korean economy is heavily dependent on international trade, and in 2014, South Korea was the fifth-largest exporter and seventh-largest importer in the world. In addition, the country has one of the world's largest foreign-exchange reserves.
its MassivE INvEsTMeNt in edUcATIon has takEn THe cOUntrY from mass iLLITerAcY to a mAjor InTernaTIonal tEchNologicAL PoWerhouSe. the cOunTRy'S nAtIonaL ecoNOmy benefits from a highLy skilled WOrKForce anD is among the mOst educAted cOuntRies in the wOrLd wItH OnE of tHe highEst perCeNtaGEs of its CiTizEnS holDinG A tertiAry educaTion deGrEe. sOuth koreA'S ecOnOmY was oNE oF the world's FAstest-GrOWIng from The early 1960S to tHe late 1990s, and WAs sTill One of the FasteSt-groWiNg DeveloPEd CoUnTRIes in tHe 2000s, along wiTh hong kOnG, SinGapore ANd TaiWaN, the OTHER three aSian tiGers. It recoRded thE FAsteSt rIse in aVERagE gdp per capitA in the wOrLd beTweEn 1980 aND 1990. SOUtH koReAnS reFEr To thIs growth aS ThE mIracle on The HAN riveR. the soUtH koreaN eCoNOmY iS heavILy dependent on inteRNatioNal TRAde, anD in 2014, sOuth korea was The fifth-largest exporteR anD seventh-LArgeST importeR in thE WorlD. iN AdDition, tHe cOUntry HAs One OF thE wOrlD's lArgEsT foreigN-exCHanGE REsErves.