South Korean firms' business sentiment rebounded in January as the third wave of COVID-19 infections eased up.

According to the Bank of Korea(BOK) on Thursday, the business survey index(BSI) for all industries came to 77, up two points from the previous month. 

The increase follows a drop in December after rising for two straight months. In December, the nation struggled to contain the third wave of the epidemic, with daily new cases peaking at over 12-hundred.  

A reading below 100 means pessimists outnumber optimists.   

The index for manufacturers gained three points on-month to hit 85, while the BSI for non-manufacturers, which includes restaurants, wholesale and retail businesses, also rose two points to 70.  

Among manufacturers, the index for exporters jumped by seven points to 96, the highest since May 2011.