Samsung Electronics reported a rise of nearly 30 percent in its operating profit last year despite the COVID-19 pandemic and trade conflicts between the U.S. and China. 

The South Korean tech giant said in a regulatory filing on Thursday that its operating profit for last year came to 35-point-99 trillion won, up 29-point-six percent from a year earlier. 

It's the fourth-largest annual operating profit and the fourth time the figure has topped 35 trillion won. 

Annual sales increased two-point-eight percent on-year to 236-point-eight trillion won, the third-largest figure. 

The tech firm started weak in the first half of last year due to the pandemic, but pent-up demand boosted its sales of semiconductors and smartphones as well as home appliances from the third quarter.  

For the fourth quarter of last year, Samsung's operating profit posted nine-point-05 trillion won, up 26-point-four percent on-year, while sales came to 61-point-55 trillion won, up two-point-eight percent on-year.