South Korea's leading carmaker Hyundai Motor saw its profit levels plunge to a seven-year low last year amid the dispute with China over the deployment of the THAAD antimissile system.

The company on Thursday disclosed its 2017 operating profit of four-point-57 trillion won, the lowest since 2010 when application of International Financial Reporting Standards became mandatory. The figure is down nearly 12 percent from 2016.

Meanwhile, annual sales grew two-point-nine percent last year to 96-point-37 trillion won.

Hyundai attributed the rise to the introduction of new models, increased sales in regions other than China and the growth of its finance division.

Accordingly, the carmaker's operating profit to sales ratio recorded four-point-seven percent last year, zero-point-eight percentage points down from 2016. The ratio is also the lowest since 2010 and it's the first time it has dipped below five percent.