SEOUL, Aug. 20 (UPI) -- Perennial business bellwether Samsung Life Insurance stood out among South Korea's major life insurance companies, which announced their first-half results this month.
The Seoul-based insurer posted $859 million in the bottom line during the January-June period, up 10.1% from a year ago. The figure does not include profits from its subsidiaries.
Observers noted that strong sales of lucrative health products supported the solid performance.
By contrast, Samsung's two major rivals, Kyobo and Hanwha, saw their first-half net income decrease 11.6 % and 48.3% to $419 million and $129 million, respectively.
Shinhan Life's net profit amounted to $247 million, up 6.7%, defeating Hanwha to become the No. 3 player.
