South Korea's business sentiment improved for March to exceed the benchmark level for the first time in three months amid relaxed anti-coronavirus measures in major economies, a poll showed Tuesday.

The business survey index (BSI) of the country's top 600 companies by sales stood at 102.1 for next month, up 2.4 points from February, the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) said.

It represents the first time since December that the monthly yardstick of business sentiment has been above the benchmark 100.

The figure was 100.3 for December, 96.5 for January and 99.7 for February.

A reading above 100 means optimists outnumber pessimists, while a figure above the benchmark means the opposite.

The FKI, the lobby for the country's family-controlled conglomerates, attributed the improved business sentiment to a series of anti-coronavirus steps eased or removed by the United States and European nations, which could bolster South Korea's exports.

The BSI for exports stood at 104.2 for the coming month, while the index for domestic demand also amounted to 104.2.

But the index for their profitability came to 99.1 for March, remaining below par for nine months running amid rising oil and other raw materials prices.

The BSI for the manufacturing industry amounted to 104.5 for the coming month thanks to expectations for brisk exports, but the index for the nonmanufacturing sector reached 99.3.The FKI further said the performance BSI for February stood at 91.5, down sharply from 104.3 in January. (Yonhap)