The production performance of many Korean companies was found to have deteriorated in the first quarter this year due to the global economic downturn and the impact of the pandemic, latest data showed Wednesday.

Local corporate tracker CEOScore surveyed 127 companies, which submitted quarterly reports and disclosed their production capacity and performance, among the nation’s top 500 companies.

According to the survey, the air transport sector was hit hardest as demand for travel and business trips decreased due to the pandemic. Smartphones and displays also fell 26.7 percent and 24.1 percent, respectively, compared to the same period last year. 

By Shin Ji-hye (shinjh@heraldcorp.com)