SK Telecom Co., the country’s top mobile operator, said Thursday its first-quarter net profit increased 15.2 percent from a year earlier gains from equity ties with its chipmaking affiliate and its market leadership in the long-term evolution market.

Net profit came to 346 billion won ($314 million) on a consolidated basis in the January-March period, compared with 300 billion won a year earlier, SK Telecom said in a regulatory filing.

Revenue rose 3.6 percent on-year to 4.1 trillion won, while operating profit declined 18 percent to 411 billion won.

The mobile operator attributed the rise in the first-quarter profit to SK Hynix Co. turning to the black in the first quarter, which boosted gains from equity ties with the world’s third-largest chipmaker.

In addition, its leadership in the LTE market and business growth in affiliates SK Broadband and SK Planet propelled its revenues. (Yonhap News)