The French daily Le Figaro says Korea will join the list of the world's most advanced nations by hosting the Group of 20 summit next year.

In its Wednesday issue the paper explained that Korea has been trying to rid itself of its image as a developing nation since 1996 when the country became a member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

The article added that Korea was able to achieve the fastest growth rate among OECD members this year with a GDP expansion of 2.9 percent in the third quarter thanks to corporate and financial restructuring during the Asian financial crisis which strengthened the country's economic foundation.