An aerial view of the aramid production facility at Kolon Industries' Gumi factory. [Kolon Industries]
An aerial view of the aramid production facility at Kolon Industries' Gumi factory. [Kolon Industries]

Kolon Industries posted second-quarter sales of 1.36 trillion won ($956 million) and operating profit of 98.7 billion won, the company announced Friday. Sales rose 7.8 percent from a year earlier and operating profit surged 118 percent.

The company said it achieved the earnings rebound despite rising raw material costs and broader external volatility, driven by expanded sales of key materials including airbags, tire cord and aramid, higher revenue from chemical products, and broad-based growth across fashion brands.

In the industrial materials segment, sales of major products — airbags, tire cord and aramid — increased quarter-on-quarter. Tire cord profitability improved in particular as hybrid products made up a larger share of sales. Aramid posted higher sales both year-on-year and quarter-on-quarter as facility utilization rates improved.

The chemicals segment delivered strong results on the back of growing downstream demand for petroleum resins and higher sales of other high-value-added products. CPI also contributed to profit growth as its utilization rate improved. In the fashion segment, major categories including outdoor, golf and menswear all recorded steady growth.

"Even amid persistent external uncertainty, our efforts to improve operational efficiency and diversify our product portfolio are bearing fruit," a Kolon Industries official said. "In the second half of the year, we will concentrate our capabilities on core businesses and build a foundation for sustained growth."


yeongdai@heraldcorp.com