South Korean firms' business sentiment slightly worsened in January from a month earlier.

According to the Bank of Korea on Thursday, the business survey index(BSI) for all industries came to 75 for the month, down one point from the previous month.  

A reading below 100 means pessimists outnumber optimists. 

The index for manufacturers marked 76, up two points from a month earlier, while the BSI for non-manufacturers slipped five points to 73. 

The index for all industries for February came to 77, up from 73 for January projections. 

However, the outbreak of a new coronavirus was not reflected as the survey was conducted between January 13 and 20.