South Korea's brand value reached US$1.6 trillion this year, ranking ninth among 39 countries surveyed, a local think tank said Tuesday.

Asia's fourth-largest economy has received good marks in the corporate field, thanks mainly to its strong exports and market share growth around the world, according to the state-run Institute of Industrial Policy Studies (IPS).

Brand value covers both corporate and country-level recognition and products made in the country. It also calculates the level of social stability and human rights protection.

Among local companies, the brand value of Samsung Electronics Co., the world's largest memory chip maker, reached 95 trillion won($87.6 billion), followed by the country's leading automaker Hyundai Motor Co. with 30 trillion won and LG Electronics Inc. with 22 trillion won.

Samsung has held the No. 1 corporate value slot among local companies for 13 straight years.

The think tank, meanwhile, said the United States topped the list, with its overall brand value reaching $12.2 trillion, followed by Germany with $7.4 trillion and Japan with $3.4 trillion. (Yonhap News)