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hardQ. No. 9187-which-of-the-following-statements-about-south-korea-s-international-memberships-is-correct

Which of the following statements about South Korea's international memberships is correct?

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Statement-based questions on international organisations push students to verify precise chronology rather than assume broad membership facts, a skill increasingly tested in mains-level and higher-difficulty GK papers. This item targets South Korea's OECD membership history: it joined in 1996, becoming the second Asian country after Japan, not a founding member of the organisation established in 1961. Students learn to distinguish founding membership from later accession, and to correctly sequence South Korea's entry relative to Japan's, both frequent points of confusion in international-organisation GK sets for competitive exams.

ASouth Korea was a founding member of the OECD in 1961.
BSouth Korea has never joined the OECD.
CSouth Korea joined the OECD in 1996, becoming the second Asian country to do so after Japan.
DSouth Korea joined the OECD before Japan did.
Correct Answer: South Korea joined the OECD in 1996, becoming the second Asian country to do so after Japan.Your Answer: C

Explanation

The correct statement is that South Korea joined the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 1996, becoming the second Asian country to do so after Japan, which had joined in 1964. This accession marked a significant milestone in South Korea's post-war economic transformation, symbolising international recognition of the country's rapid industrialisation and its emergence as a developed, market-oriented economy following decades of export-led growth centred on electronics, shipbuilding and automobiles. The OECD itself was founded in 1961, evolving from the earlier Organisation for European Economic Co-operation, which had coordinated the distribution of Marshall Plan aid in post-war Europe. Its founding members were almost entirely Western European and North American nations, meaning no Asian country, including Japan or South Korea, held founding-member status. This directly rules out the first distractor, which falsely claims South Korea was a founding member in 1961, an error that conflates the organisation's founding year with South Korea's much later accession. The second distractor, claiming South Korea has never joined the OECD, is factually false and easily eliminated once a student recalls that South Korea is regularly cited in current-affairs and economic-policy discussions as an active OECD member, participating in its economic surveys and policy reviews. The fourth distractor reverses the correct chronology, claiming South Korea joined before Japan; in reality Japan's 1964 accession preceded South Korea's by more than three decades, making Japan the first Asian OECD member and South Korea the second. A common exam confusion is assuming any organisation joined decades after founding must still count as "founding," or reversing entry order between closely related regional powers like Japan and South Korea without checking exact years.

Important Notes

  • South Korea joined the OECD in 1996, becoming the second Asian member country.
  • Japan joined the OECD in 1964, becoming the first Asian member, over three decades before South Korea.
  • The OECD was founded in 1961, evolving from the earlier Organisation for European Economic Co-operation.
  • Founding OECD members were almost entirely Western European and North American nations; no Asian country held founding status.
  • South Korea's OECD accession symbolised recognition of its rapid post-war industrialisation and developed-economy status.

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Countries and Continents FAQs

Common questions and clear answers for this topic.

When was the OECD founded and from what earlier organisation did it evolve?

The OECD was founded in 1961, evolving from the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation, which had coordinated Marshall Plan aid distribution in post-war Europe.

Which was the first Asian country to join the OECD?

Japan was the first Asian country to join the OECD, doing so in 1964, more than three decades before South Korea.

Why is South Korea's 1996 OECD accession considered significant?

It symbolised international recognition of South Korea's transformation into a developed, industrialised, market-oriented economy after decades of export-led growth.

Were any Asian countries founding members of the OECD?

No, the OECD's founding members in 1961 were almost entirely Western European and North American nations; no Asian country held founding-member status.

How many continents are there in the world and what are they?

There are 7 continents in the world: Asia (largest), Africa (second largest), North America, South America, Antarctica (coldest), Europe, and Australia/Oceania (smallest). Asia has the most countries and the highest population. Antarctica has no permanent human population. Knowledge of continents is essential for SSC CGL, UPSC, and Railway exams.

Which is the largest and smallest country in the world by area?

Russia is the largest country in the world by area (17.1 million sq km), followed by Canada, USA, China, and Brazil. Vatican City is the smallest country in the world (0.44 sq km), followed by Monaco and San Marino. India is the 7th largest country. These facts are frequently asked in SSC CGL, Bank PO, and UPSC Prelims exams.

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