Meritz Financial Group reported record first-half net profit of 1.47 trillion won ($1.06 billion) on a consolidated basis, rising 8.3% from a year earlier, as growth in long-term protection insurance and retail securities business supported earnings. The company said on the 12th that second-quarter net profit increased 7.3% to 791.4 billion won, while first-half revenue jumped 102.4% to 35.58 trillion won and operating profit rose 9.0% to 1.82 trillion won. Total assets climbed 9.7% from the end of last year to 148.55 trillion won, and ROE (return on equity, a profitability measure) reached 26.8%. Meritz Financial said the performance was driven by stronger core competitiveness at Meritz Fire & Marine Insurance and Meritz Securities, alongside solid asset management results across affiliates. Meritz Fire & Marine posted first-half net profit of 1.02 trillion won, up 3.8%, with investment income rising even as insurance income declined, while its preliminary K-ICS ratio (Korean insurer capital adequacy measure) stood at 231%. Meritz Securities reported first-half net profit of 514.0 billion won, up 15.9%, and said steady retail earnings and firm asset management and financial income helped offset heightened market volatility.