LG Elec says mobile phone margin to fall in Q3

SEOUL, July 22 (Reuters) - South Korean mobile phone and TV maker LG Electronics Inc (066570.KS) forecast on Wednesday profitability of its mobile phones would decrease slightly in the third quarter on increased marketing costs and lower-margin phone sales.

LG, the world's No. 3 mobile phone maker, sold a record 29.8 million handsets in the second quarter, up from 22.6 million in January-March.

Its operating profit margin on mobile phone sales rose to 11.0 percent from 6.7 percent in the first quarter, LG said in a statement. (Reporting by Miyoung Kim and Cheon Jong-woo; Editing by Jonathan Hopfner)