FX.co ★ South Korea Business Confidence Improves Slightly

In South Korea, business sentiment experienced a slight increase at the beginning of the year, according to the latest survey from the Bank of Korea. The Business Survey Index, which represents business conditions in the manufacturing sector, revealed a slight increase to 71 in January, up from 70 in December.

The survey further highlighted a strengthened outlook for the second consecutive month, as the index rose from 69 to 71. It was reported that demands from both domestic and export-oriented sectors saw an increase.

On the other hand, in the non-manufacturing sector, there was a slight downfall in the business morale index, dropping 3 points to 67. But the outlook for this sector remained steady at 68 for the same month.

The Economic Sentiment Index, which is a combination of the Business Survey Index and the Consumer Survey Index, was at 91.5 — a marginal rise from 91.4 in the previous month.

The figures outlined in the report were gathered from a survey conducted among 3,255 companies between the 9th and 16th of January.