Press Release

SEOUL (AFX-ASIA) - LG Household & Health Care Ltd said that it posted an operating profit of 37.3 billion won in the three months to September, in line with expectations and compared with 36.1 billion a year ago.

Sales totalled 314.5 billion won in the third quarter, up from 299.3 billion a year ago, thanks to stronger seasonal demand for Chusok holiday household gift sets.

`The results came in as strong as expected, boosted by a 25 percent increase in sales of the gift sets,` a company spokeswoman said. In nine months to September, recurring profit stood at 92.4 billion won on sales of 918.3 billion, up 8.3 percent year-on-year and up 7.4 percent.

Backed by strong financial results, the debt-to-equity ratio fell to 145 percent at end-September from 178 percent as of the end of 2001.

The company plans to cut the ratio further to 139 percent by the end of this year. eunkyung.

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