Nexen Tire’s weaker product mix is widening its profitability gap with Hankook Tire and Kumho Tire, as the company lags behind its rivals in the shift toward higher-margin, high-inch tires, according to data and industry officials, Monday. Nexen Tire was the only one of Korea’s three major tiremakers to report a decline in operating profit in the April-June period from a year earlier. Hankook Tire’s operating profit jumped 58 percent, while Kumho Tire posted a 24 percent increase. Industry officials said differences in product mix are emerging as one of the main reasons behind the widening gap. The shift toward larger tires is closely linked to changes in the global auto market. SUVs and large vehicles have continued to gain popularity, and automakers are increasingly equipping premium models and electric vehicles (EVs) with larger wheels. EVs particularly tend to require tires capable of handling greater vehicle weight and higher torque, creating opportunities for manufacturers to sell more technologically advanced and higher-value products. High-inch tires, generally referring to