South Koreans consider the country's first-ever advance to the semifinals in the FIFA World Cup as the most honorable moment in history since the Korean liberation from Japanese colonial rule, a survey showed Wednesday.

Public broadcaster MBC surveyed 3,000 adults via Gallup Korea, and 29.5 percent of the respondents cited the advance to the semifinals in the World Cup co-hosted by South Korea and Japan in 2002 as the nation's top moment of pride.

The figure was followed by 19 percent who chose the Seoul Summer Olympics in 1988, and 6.3 percent who chose the civilian-led national campaign to gather gold to help the nation overcome the Asian financial crisis in the late 1990s.

As for words that best represent the country, respondents selected the national flag "Taegukgi," the national flower "Mugunghwa" or the rose of Sharon, World Cup and "a divided country."

Korea was liberated from Japan's 35-year colonial rule at the end of World War II on Aug. 15, 1945, before being divided into the U.S.-backed South and the Soviet-backed North. The two Koreas are technically still in a state of war as the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce, not a peace treaty.

Koreans consider "diligence" and "patience and tenacity" as the top contributors to the country's rapid economic and social growth.

About 19 percent answered that they think South Korea is an advanced country when asked about its international status. The figure was 10 times higher than 1.9 percent who chose the same answer in the same survey conducted in 2005.

The broadcaster said it plans to use the survey results to create two special TV programs marking the 70th anniversary of liberation. The programs are set to go on air on Korean Liberation Day, which falls on Saturday, next week. (Yonhap)