The operating profit margin of South Korean manufacturers hit a record high of eight-point-eight percent in the first quarter.

According to Bank of Korea data, the operating profit to sales ratio of all South Korean firms, meanwhile, rose to seven-point-four percent in the first three months of the year.

The operating profit rate of companies in machinery and electric and electronics sectors also posted an all-time high of 15 percent on the back of brisk sales of semiconductors.

However, the seven-point-four percent profit margin of all industries would drop to five-point-three percent if tech giant Samsung Electronics and chip maker SK Hynix were excluded from the tally.