Nearly one-third of South Korea’s largest companies reported worsening financial conditions this year, according to a survey by Mono Research. Among the country’s top 1,000 firms by sales, 31% saw declines, while 11% reported improvements, and 58% saw no change. The construction and civil engineering sector was hardest hit at 50%, followed by metals and steel at 45.5%, and petrochemicals at 33.3%. Prolonged downturns, weakening demand, and global oversupply have made capital procurement difficult. Foreign exchange rate volatility was cited as the top challenge at 24.3%, followed by rising raw material costs at 23% and interest rate burdens at 17.7%. The findings highlight ongoing financial strain across key industries amid economic uncertainties.