Kakao Games, the gaming unit of the country’s leading messenger app operator, reported a 68 percent jump in net profit to 18.3 billion won ($16.3 million) in the first quarter on-year, the company announced Tuesday.

Sales rose 35 percent to 130.1 billion won, while operating profit increased 23 percent to 15.6 billion won in the same period.

By division, the firm’s online PC game segment reaped 51.1 billion won in sales, a 19 percent increase on-year, buoyed by the solid performance of Elyon, a new game released last quarter.

The company’s mobile game division witnessed its sales spike 41 percent from a year prior to 60.1 billion won, thanks to the stellar performance of live games.

Other sales from its subsidiary Kakao VX and new businesses -- such as indoor golf -- soared 77 percent to 18.9 billion won.

Kakao Games aims to continue the momentum by launching new titles this year -- Odin: Valhalla Rising, World Flipper, Black Survival: Eternal Return, Soul Artifact and Goddess Order.

By Kim Byung-wook (kbw@heraldcorp.com)