[THE INVESTOR] S-Oil posted the highest operating profit rate of 14.9 percent in the first half of this year out of Korea’s top 30 industrial groups, according to data from corporate tracker CEO Score on Aug. 22.

The country’s third-largest refiner saw its first half operating profit rise 34.1 percent on-year during the first six months of this year to 1.13 trillion won (US$1 billion). In the second quarter, S-Oil posted a record quarterly operating profit rate of 15.3 percent.

Hyundai Department Store followed with 11.1 percent, and YoungPoong with 10.1 percent.

SK was next with 9.4 percent, with its key affiliate SK Innovation posting its second-highest quarterly operating profit of 1.11 trillion won in the second quarter. GS followed with 9.3 percent, also led by double-digit operating profit from its refiner GS Caltex.

Next in line were KCC with 9.3 percent, Harim with 9.1 percent, Hyosung with 8.9 percent, Doosan with 8.2 percent and Hyundai Motor Group with 8.1 percent. Samsung had a half-year operating profit rate of 5.3 percent, while LG marked 4.4 percent.

Firms that recorded the biggest on-year jump in operating profit were OCI, Hyosung, GS, S-Oil and Doosan.

In total, the top 30 companies had sales of 545.75 trillion won, down 3.3 percent on-year. Operating profit, however, rose 9.7 percent to 34.88 trillion won from 31.79 trillion won, mostly due to stabilizing and cost-cutting efforts.

CEO Score said the data was based on performance reports issued by 267 affiliates of the 30 groups. KT&G, an exclusive supplier of cigarettes in the Korean market, and Booyoung, which does not disclose business reports, were excluded.

By Kim Ji-hyun (jemmie@heraldcorp.com">jemmie@heraldcorp.com)