Top 500 Companies Post Q1 Operating Profit Over 156 Trillion Won... Samsung and SK hynix Account for 60%

Record-High Earnings Fueled by Semiconductor Boom
Major Losses for Battery Makers
Securities Firms Surge Amid Bullish Stock Market

The combined operating profit of Korea's top 500 companies surpassed 156 trillion won in the first quarter of this year. Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, known as the "semiconductor twins," accounted for 60% of the total. This record-breaking quarterly performance was driven by the strong semiconductor market, allowing both companies to achieve their highest-ever quarterly results.

In contrast, battery manufacturers such as LG Energy Solution and Samsung SDI posted significant operating losses, exceeding 200 billion won in some cases. Their profitability declined due to the prolonged "EV chasm"—a temporary slowdown in demand for electric vehicles—and aggressive low-cost competition from China.

According to an analysis by corporate data research firm CEO Score released on May 17, covering 328 out of the top 500 domestic companies by sales that had submitted their quarterly reports as of May 15, these companies recorded a combined operating profit of 156.0351 trillion won in the first quarter. This represents a 158.6% increase (up 95.7057 trillion won) compared to the same period last year. Revenue during the same period also grew by 29.4% (up 235.2811 trillion won) to 1,036.397 trillion won.

By company, Samsung Electronics posted the largest operating profit. Its first-quarter operating profit soared to 57.2328 trillion won, a 756.1% surge from a year earlier, surpassing last year's total annual operating profit of 43.6011 trillion won. Revenue for the same period also rose 69.2% to 133.8734 trillion won. Both quarterly sales and operating profit were the highest ever recorded by the company.

SK hynix ranked second. The company reported an operating profit of 37.6103 trillion won in the first quarter, up 405.5% from the same period last year. Revenue also grew 198.1% to 52.5763 trillion won. This marks the fourth consecutive quarter since the second quarter of last year in which SK hynix has broken its own sales and operating profit records. Both companies demonstrated strong year-on-year growth thanks to favorable conditions in the semiconductor sector.

Buoyed by a bullish stock market, major securities firms such as Mirae Asset also achieved strong results. The petrochemical sector, which posted losses last year, managed to recover on the back of higher product prices resulting from the impact of the Middle East war.

Following Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, the companies with the largest operating profits were, in order: Korea Electric Power Corporation (3.7842 trillion won), Hyundai Motor Company (2.5147 trillion won), Kia (2.2051 trillion won), LG Electronics (1.6737 trillion won), GS Caltex (1.6367 trillion won), Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (1.4674 trillion won), Mirae Asset Capital (1.4474 trillion won), and Mirae Asset Securities (1.375 trillion won).

On the other hand, LG Energy Solution posted the largest operating loss, recording an operating loss of 207.8 billion won in the first quarter. The company had posted an operating profit of 374.7 billion won in the same period last year, but due to the combined effects of the EV chasm and aggressive low-cost competition from China, it swung to a loss this year.

Other companies with large operating losses included: HYBE (-196.6 billion won), E1 (-156.2 billion won), Samsung SDI (-155.6 billion won), Asiana Airlines (-52.4 billion won), LG Chem (-49.7 billion won), Lotte Insurance (-28.5 billion won), Korea South-East Power (-28.0 billion won), Yeochun NCC (-24.2 billion won), and Korea Seven (-19.7 billion won).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.