South Korean firms' business sentiment worsened for the third straight month in April, falling to the lowest point in over eleven years amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

According to the Bank of Korea on Wednesday, the business survey index(BSI) for all industries came to 51 for the month, down three points from the previous month.

The reading matches the one posted in December 2008 in the midst of the global financial crisis.

A reading below 100 means pessimists outnumber optimists.  

The index for manufacturers marked 52, down four points from a month earlier. It marked the lowest since February 2009 when it posted 43. The BSI for non-manufacturers, which includes restaurants, wholesale and retail businesses, slipped three points to 50.

The outlook index for all industries for May dropped three points on-month to 50, the lowest since January 2009.