More than two-thirds of South Korean small and medium-sized enterprises have suffered setbacks in their sales following the coronavirus outbreak in February, a poll showed.

According to a nationwide survey of 1,000 SMEs with sales of 100 million won ($84,300) or more, 77 percent of respondents said their sales had dipped since the COVID-19 outbreak, compared to a year earlier.

Those companies reported an average decrease of 39.2 percent in sales over the cited period.

Of the companies that suffered drops, some 35 percent said their sales sank 50-70 percent during the period, with 12.2 percent replying that sales tumbled more than 70 percent. (Yonhap)