Nexon Q1 net rises 15 percent

SEOUL, May 10 (Yonhap) -- Online gaming firm Nexon Co. said Friday its first-quarter net profit increased 15 percent from a year earlier due to currency gains.

Net profit for the January-March period came to 53.4 billion yen (US$486 million), compared with 46.6 billion yen a year earlier, the company said in a press release.

Sales were up 3 percent on-year to a quarterly record of 93 billion yen, while operating income was down 4 percent on-year to 52.6 billion yen during the cited period.

The continued popularity of online games such as "Dungeon & Fighter" and "MapleStory," coupled with new games such as "FIFA Online 4" in the global market, contributed to the results, the company said.

Revenues from overseas markets accounted for 76 percent of its gross sales during cited period.

Nexon was founded in South Korea in 1994, but it is headquartered in Japan. The company's stocks were listed on the Tokyo stock exchange in late 2011.

khj@yna.co.kr
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