South Korean firms' business sentiment posted the largest growth in about eleven years in October.  

According to the Bank of Korea(BOK) on Thursday, the business survey index(BSI) for all industries came to 74 for the month, up ten points from the previous month. 

The index rose for four straight months from May to August. The streak snapped last month due to a resurgence of COVID-19 infections, but then rebounded and posted the largest gain in October since April 2009, when it grew by eleven points.  

A reading below 100 means pessimists outnumber optimists.

The index for manufacturers jumped eleven points on-month to 79 in October. In particular, the index for small and medium manufacturers soared by 18 points, the largest on-month gain since the nation started compiling related data in January 2003. 

The BSI for non-manufacturers, which includes restaurants, wholesale and retail businesses, also gained seven points on-month to 69.