[[THE INVESTOR] South Korean listed companies have marginally improved their financial health this year, data showed on Aug. 29.

The average debt-equity ratio of 626 firms listed on the KOSPI market last year came to 115.4 percent as of end-June, according to the Korea Exchange and the Korea Listed Companies Association.

It marks a 3.15 percentage-point drop from the end of 2015.

“Companies listed on the (local) equity market are maintaining a sound financial status in general,” a Seoul bourse official said.

The combined debts of those firms surveyed rose 0.27 percent to 1,178.6 trillion won (US$1,058 billion), but their aggregate assets increased 3.01 percent to 1,021.4 trillion won.

Those with a debt-equity ratio of 100 percent or below numbered 361, or 57.7 percent of the total, while 98 firms had debt-equity ratios of over 200 percent.

(theinvestor@heraldcorp.com)