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Japan vs South Korea

On research quality in 2022–now, South Korea ranks #11 in the world and Japan #12, of 192 countries. Japan stands higher in 6 of the 26 fields both publish in, South Korea in 20.

Japan

World rank, 2022–now
#12
#6 all time
Works, 2022–now
558k
fractional
Top-10% rate
10.7%
share of its work among the world’s most cited
Open access
42%
of its works free to read

Strongest relative focus: Condensed Matter Physics, Gastroenterology, Radiation.

South Korea

World rank, 2022–now
#11
#15 all time
Works, 2022–now
358k
fractional
Top-10% rate
18.2%
share of its work among the world’s most cited
Open access
43%
of its works free to read

Strongest relative focus: Leadership and Management, Polymers and Plastics, Electrical and Electronic Engineering.

Who leads in each field?

Japan stands higher in 6 of 26 fields, South Korea in 20. Each bar is that side’s standing among all countries ranked in the field: the full bar is first place.

Japan 620 South Korea
  1. #31Agricultural and Biological Sciences#29
  2. #24Arts and Humanities#25
  3. #13Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology#12
  4. #46Business, Management and Accounting#17
  5. #7Chemical Engineering#6
  6. #11Chemistry#10
  7. #19Computer Science#9
  8. #20Decision Sciences#13
  9. #21Dentistry#18
  10. #13Earth and Planetary Sciences#17
  11. #29Economics, Econometrics and Finance#20
  12. #21Energy#11
  13. #16Engineering#6
  14. #23Environmental Science#18
  15. #26Health Professions#14
  16. #12Immunology and Microbiology#14
  17. #8Materials Science#5
  18. #15Mathematics#9
  19. #12Medicine#13
  20. #12Neuroscience#10
  21. #23Nursing#3
  22. #26Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics#16
  23. #6Physics and Astronomy#14
  24. #21Psychology#14
  25. #32Social Sciences#24
  26. #22Veterinary#24

Standing is the percentile of world rank within each field, 2022–now; the printed number is the rank itself. A dash means the field is too small there to rank. How sides are compared.

How has their output grown?

50k100k150kJapan144k in 2025South Korea93k in 20251990200020102020

Fractional works per year. The latest, partial year is left off.

Which publishes more research, Japan or South Korea?

Japan publishes 1.6× as much research as South Korea in 2022–now (558k against 358k fractional works).

Whose research has more impact, Japan or South Korea?

18.2% of South Korea's research reaches the world's top 10% most cited, against 10.7% for Japan.

Where does their research happen?

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