South Korea's consumer sentiment improved for the fifth consecutive month in April. 

According to the Bank of Korea(BOK) on Friday, the composite consumer sentiment index(CCSI) came to 101-point-six for the month, up one-point-eight from the previous month. 

The reading marks the first time in seven months the index breached the 100 mark.  

A reading above 100 means optimists outnumber pessimists. 

Five of six indexes comprising the CCSI increased, while one remained unchanged from the previous month. 

The latest report comes a day after the central bank estimated the economy shrank point-three percent in the first quarter, the largest drop in a decade.  

A BOK official said the consumer sentiment measuring people's feelings towards the economy could be different from economic growth figures, attributing the rise in the index to public expectations regarding the extra budget and stable housing prices.