Debt ratio of listed firms inches up in Q 1 SEOUL , May 21 ( Yonhap ) -- South Korean companies listed on the country ' s main stock market saw their debt ratio edge up in the first quarter of this year from three months earlier , data showed Monday . The debt - to - equity ratio of 598 listed companies , which close their books in December , came to 111 . 38 percent at the end of March , up 0 . 93 percentage point from the end of December , according to the data by the Korea Exchange and the Korea Listed Companies Association . A key measure of financial health and stability , the ratio is calculated by dividing a company ' s total liabilities by its stockholders ' equity . The companies ' debt totaled 1 , 182 . 8 trillion won ( US $ 1 . 09 trillion ) as of end - March , up 2 . 54 percent from three months earlier , with their combined equity rising 1 . 69 percent to 1 , 061 . 9 trillion won . The data also showed 325 companies , or 54 . 3 percent of the total , had a debt ratio of 100 percent or lower , while the ratio for 89 firms exceeded 200 percent . The number of companies with a debt ratio of 100 percent and lower declined by nine during the period , with that for firms with a ratio of more than 200 percent climbing by two . Companies in the property , oil refinery and 28 other business sectors saw their debt ratio grow over the cited period , with firms in the electronics parts , automaking , communications equipment and four other areas posting declines , the data showed . The Korea Stock Exchange in Seoul ( Yonhap ) ( END )