The financial soundness of South Korean listed companies worsened in the first half of this year due to the prolonged economic slump, the financial watchdog said Sunday.
As of the end of June, the current ratio of 567 manufacturing companies listed on South Korea's main bourse stood at 117.93 percent, down 1.33 percentage points from six months earlier, Yonhap News reported quoting a report from the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS).
The current ratio compares a firm's current assets to its current liabilities, and measures its market liquidity and ability to meet creditors' demands over the next 12 months.
The combined current assets of the companies stood at 284.3 trillion won ($244 billion) as of the end of June, up 15.5 percent from six months earlier, with their current liabilities, which should be repaid within a year, rising 16.8 percent to 241.4 trillion won, the FSS said.
The current ratio of companies belonging to South Korea's top 10 family-controlled conglomerates amounted to 112.2 percent as of June 30, up 1.17 percent from six months earlier.
Kumho-Asiana Group had the highest current ratio of 155.6 percent, followed by LG Group with 131.2 percent, Samsung Group with 123.1 percent and Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group with 122.8 percent.