Newsweek magazine has ranked South Korea 15th in its list of the 100 best countries in the world.

The online edition of the U.S. magazine gave South Korea a score of 83-point-two out of a possible 100 in five areas, including education, health, quality of life, economic dynamism and political environment.

South Korea came in second in the world in terms of education and third in economic dynamism but ranked 29th in quality of life, which is an assessment of a nation’s income gap and unemployment levels. In terms of political environment, South Korea ranked 19th.

Finland topped the Newsweek list while Japan came in ninth and the U.S. eleventh.

Meanwhile, President Lee Myung-bak was included in a Newsweek special report on ten world leaders that have garnered international respect. The weekly said the financial crisis has provided a showcase for Lee to display his management skills.