retail sales index-discount stores SEOUL, Aug. 9 (Yonhap) -- The retail sales index at South Korea's discount stores posted the sharpest on-year fall in the second quarter, partly due to the closure or operation suspension of stores at Homeplus Co., which is going through a corporate rehabilitation process, government data showed Sunday. The retail sales index at South Korea's discount store chains was 77.8 points in the April-June period, down 9.4 percent from the same three months in 2025, according to the data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics. 모바일 바다이야기 기프트전환 The index fell by the steepest level since the ministry started compiling such statistics in 2010, it said. Massive closures of Homeplus stores were blamed for the decline, the ministry said. The discount store chain had closed 37 out of 104 offline outlets as of June due to the lack of operating capital and difficulties in maintaining store operations. In early July, the Seoul Bankruptcy Court terminated rehabilitation proceedings for the troubled discount retailer. 무료머니릴게임 Homeplus had temporarily suspended operations at its remaining 67 stores on July 13. But the company reopened them after the bankruptcy court canceled the earlier decision to end the company's rehabilitation proceedings, as its largest creditor, Meritz Financial Group, agreed to provide necessary financing. A shopper passes a Homeplus Co. store in downtown Seoul, as the main creditor of the retailer decided to extend fresh funding worth 200 billion won (US$134 million) for the financially troubled discount store chain, in this file photo taken July 16, 2026. (Yonhap) " target="