U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk has lauded the competitiveness of the South Korean educational system.

Speaking at the United Negro College Fund in Virginia Friday, Kirk said countries like South Korea and Canada are doing a better job than the United States of equipping their students to meet the needs of the 21st century.

Stressing that education is crucial to the success of not only an individual but also a nation, Kirk said that the gap between the best educated nations and American students is estimated to cost the United States more than a trillion dollars a year.

Earlier in March, U.S. President Barack Obama called for the United States to look to South Korea in seeking a sweeping reform of the U.S. education system.