South Korean firms' business sentiment improved for the second straight month in November, recovering to levels seen before the outbreak of COVID-19.  

According to the Bank of Korea(BOK) on Wednesday, the business survey index(BSI) for all industries came to 78 for the month, up four points from the previous month. 

The reading is larger than 75 posted in January, before the local outbreak. A reading below 100 means pessimists outnumber optimists.

However, the central bank said the index did not reflect the latest spike in infections as the survey was conducted from November 10 to 17.

The index for manufacturers rose six points on-month to 85 in November. 

The BSI for non-manufacturers, which includes restaurants, wholesale and retail businesses, also gained four points on-month to 73.