Seoul: SK Telecom Co. announced a third-quarter net profit of 280.2 billion won (US$202.1 million), marking a 9.1 percent decrease from the previous year. The company released these figures in a regulatory filing on Wednesday, highlighting the financial performance for the July-September period. According to Yonhap News Agency, despite the decline in net income, SK Telecom's operating profit saw a 7.1 percent increase year-on-year, reaching 533.3 billion won. Additionally, the company experienced a 2.9 percent growth in sales, amounting to 4.53 trillion won for the quarter. However, the earnings fell short of market expectations. Analysts had anticipated a net profit of 321.2 billion won, based on a survey conducted by Yonhap Infomax, the financial data firm of Yonhap News Agency.