▲ The logo of a savings bank (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Aug. 28 (Yonhap) -- Savings banks' first-half net profit nearly tripled from a year earlier, aided by a decline in loan-loss reserves and investment returns, data showed Friday.

Their combined net profit nationwide reached 766 billion won (US$553 million) in the January-June period, sharply up from a net profit of 257 billion won a year earlier, according to their trade association.

Their asset soundness deteriorated, with the delinquency rate coming in at 6.26 percent at the end of June, up from 6.04 percent at the end of December.

The rate on corporate loans rose 0.38 percentage point from six months earlier to 8.38 percent, while that on household loans fell 0.07 percentage point to 4.6 percent over the cited period.

Their average capital adequacy ratio stood at 15.73 percent at the end of June, down 0.12 percentage point from six months earlier, the data showed.

Their total assets stood at 126 trillion won at the end of June, up 2.6 trillion won from end-December.

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