ⓒYONHAP News

Profits made by South Korea's listed firms plunged nearly 40 percent in the first quarter of this year due to weaker exports.

According to the Korea Exchange and the Korea Listed Companies Association on Friday, the combined net profit of 573 non-financial companies on the KOSPI totaled 20-point-nine trillion won in the first quarter, down 39 percent from a year ago.

Sales by the firms edged up zero-point-two percent to 484-point-three trillion won, while their operating profits dipped 37 percent to 27-point-eight trillion won.

The falling profits were mostly attributed to a decline in South Korea's exports amid a renewed trade war between the U.S. and China, as well as the global economic slowdown.

The KOSPI lost eleven-point-89 points, or point-58 percent, on Friday. It ended the week at two-thousand-55-point-80, the lowest mark at close since January eighth.

On the job front, the number of positions created in April slipped back below the 200-thousand mark after two straight months of apparent recovery.

There was a little good news on the economic front, as U.S. President Donald Trump has delayed a decision on whether to impose tariffs of up to 25 percent on imported vehicles and auto parts for six months.

South Korean passenger cars exported to the U.S. are currently subject to two-point-five percent tariffs.

The White House said in a statement Friday that it postponed the decision on tariffs on autos imported from the European Union, Japan and other countries by up to six months. This means the decision can be put off until November.