Kia Motors may post net profit by end-H1 -executive

SEOUL, April 25 (Reuters) - Kia Motors Corp (000270.KS: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), South Korea's No.2 auto maker, expects to post a net profit as early as the end of the first half, a company official said on Friday.

"On net profit, if the won falls further ... it may cause foreign currency losses. We may show a turn around as early as the end of the first half if the won stays at the current level," Kim Deuk-ju, a director of its treasury group told reporters.

Kia posted a first-quarter net loss of 24.8 billion won ($24.90 million), exceeding a forecast for a 21.3 billion won net loss in a Reuters poll, as a weaker won boosted the value of foreign currency debt. ($1=996.0 Won) (Reporting by Cheon Jong-woo; Editing by Edmund Klamann)