Seoul - South Korea's Hynix Semiconductor Inc on Thursday reported its fifth consecutive quarterly loss as prices for computer memory chips tumbled.

Hynix reported a net loss of 1.33 trillion won (961 million dollars) for the fourth quarter of 2008, after losses of 462 billion won in the same quarter last year, dragged down by rapidly falling prices, which could not be compensated by rising sales and the weak won, the company said.

Sales of the world's second largest chipmaker fell by 18 per cent to 1.5 trillion won.

For the full year, Hynix reported net losses of 4.38 trillion won after profits of 364 billion won in 2007. Sales were down 21 per cent to 6.8 trillion won.

In December, Hynix announced a number of cost-cutting measures, including slashing management posts by one third and offering pension plans to employees who had been in the company for more than 10 years. (dpa)