SEOUL, May 28 (Yonhap) — South Korea’s major listed companies witnessed a sales increase last year from a year earlier, but fell short of reaping more profits than the previous year, data showed Monday.

   Sales per capita by 649 listed firms rose 11.7 percent to 1,679 million won (US$1.4 million) in the fiscal year 2011 from a year earlier, according to the Korea Listed Companies Association (KLCA).

   Their operating profit per capita fell 3.98 percent to 115 million won during the same time span, the KLCA said, adding the net profit fell 14.0 percent to 82 million won.

   By industry, the transportation and warehouse industry suffered the most, with operating profits declining 89.1 percent to nine million won.

   This was attributed to declining exports to the debt-ridden euro zone.

   The electricity and gas industry recorded 25 million won in operating profits last year, down 81.4 percent.
The medical and precision equipment industry saw an 81.3 percent decline in per capita operating profits last year.

   The electronics industry garnered 68 million won in per capita operating profits last year, down 31.4 percent, while the medicine industry showed a 23.7 percent decline with 29 million won in per capita operating profits.

   The financial industry, meanwhile, posted a whopping 40.5 surge in per capita operating profits with 709 million won, and the distribution industry’s per capita operating profit rose 35.6 percent to 87 million won.

   The listed firms had a total of 1,062,300 employees last year, up 32,170 workers or 3.12 percent from the previous year.

   By firm, Korea Zinc came in first with per capita operating profits of 941 million won, followed by Honam Petrochemical Corp. with 900 million won, Keystone Global with 787 million won, Hyundai Glovis with 719 million won and Kumho Petrochemical with 662 million won.

  (END)