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Business sentiment falls for first time in 3 months in Oct.: BOK

Published: 29 Oct. 2025, 08:42

Export-bound cars are lined up at Pyeongtaek Port in Gyeonggi on Oct. 28. [YONHAP]

Business sentiment in Korea fell for the first time in three months in October, weighed down by a weaker local currency and fewer working days, a central bank survey showed Wednesday.

The Composite Business Sentiment Index (CBSI) for all industries came to 90.6 this month, down 1.0 point from September, according to data from the Bank of Korea (BOK).

It marked the first decline since July, after rising for two straight months to hit a 10-month high of 91.6 in September. A reading below 100 means pessimists outnumber optimists.

The CBSI among manufacturers fell 1.0 point to 92.4, while that for non-manufacturers also dropped 1.0 point to 89.5.

But the outlook for November improved markedly, rising 2.6 points to 91.1, the survey showed.

"Overall business conditions weakened in October due to fewer working days stemming from the extended Chuseok holiday," a BOK official said.

This year's holiday ran from Oct. 3-9, as Chuseok, the Korean fall harvest festival, fell between two national holidays — National Foundation Day on Oct. 3 and Hangul Day on Oct. 9, which marks the creation of the Korean alphabet.

"Manufacturing activity, in particular, declined amid higher raw material costs driven by the weak won, while non-manufacturing sectors, especially retail and wholesale, lost momentum as the holiday demand faded," he added.

The survey, conducted earlier this month, covered 3,286 companies, including 1,831 manufacturers, the BOK said.

Yonhap