Title: Operating Profit of South Korea's Top Companies Surpasses 100 Billion USD in Q1, Over 60% from Samsung and SK Hynix

1. According to industry data released on Sunday, South Korea's leading companies achieved a combined operating profit of over 156 trillion Korean won (equivalent to approximately 104 billion USD) in the first quarter of this year.

2. More than 60% of this profit was contributed by the country's two major chip giants, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. The data, compiled by corporate data agency CEO Score, shows that among the top 500 companies in South Korea by revenue, 328 firms reported a total operating profit of 156.35 trillion won in Q1.

3. This figure marks a significant year-on-year increase of 158.6% compared to the same period last year. The surge is overwhelmingly driven by the semiconductor sector, with Samsung and SK Hynix accounting for the majority of the total operating profit.