"We now have leapt up a step to become a space-power nation, " he said, adding that South Korea would use this "overwhelming moment as a strong, dynamic force" to help drive an independent space programme.

BBC: South Korea launches space rocket carrying satellite

An increasingly dynamic city, Seoul is an exemplary hub of technology and engineering as South Korea achieves global greatness with brands such as Samsung, LG and Hyundai.

BBC: Five cities where you can live large, for a little

Clear gainers include Intel, which produces 85% of all microprocessors, and the makers of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) chips such as Japan's NEC and Toshiba and South Korea's Samsung Electronics, LG Semicon and Hyundai Electronics.

CNN: Getting Ready for Asia's PC Wars