South Korea’s top electronics makers Samsung and LG have ended the first quarter better than expected and are readying to normalize overseas factories after weeks of shutdown to protect workers from coronavirus.

Samsung Electronics Co. is scheduled to reopen its smartphone and home appliance factories in Brazil on April 13. Its factories in India, also making smartphones and home appliance, are set to restart production two days later.

LG Electronics Co. is taking steps to restart its automotive electronics assembly lines on April 14.

But overseas output capacity is contingent to the unfazed spread in the virus.

LG intended to reopen TV and white goods factories in Russia this week but extended the shutdown period to the end of April after Russian president prolonged the stay-at-home order.

Samsung will also keep its TV factory in Russia shut beyond its original restart schedule of this week. It has not said when it plans to reopen the factory.

On top of production disruption, the electronics companies are seeing their revenue sinking rapidly with most of their stores in big markets, including the United States and Europe, shut down due to the virus spread.

On Tuesday, Samsung Electronics estimated its revenue of the January-March quarter shrank to 55 trillion won ($45 billion) from 60 trillion won posted three months ago. But its operating income was above a year-ago period and market expectations at 6.4 trillion won.

LG Electronics did far better than expectations with operating profit projected at 1.1 trillion won, sharply up from 101.8 billion won of three months ago, although revenues fell 8.3 percent on quarter to 14.7 trillion won.

Shares of Samsung Electronics closed the day 1.85 percent higher at 49,600 won and LG Electronic at 54,500 won, up 6.65 percent from the previous session.

By Chun Gyung-woon, Hwang Soon-min, and Cho Jeehyun

[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business Newspaper & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]