South Korea's consumer sentiment rebounded this month... after slumping to a 21-month low in November.
The Bank of Korea says the composite consumer sentiment index was at 97-point-2 points in December... up more than 1 point from the previous month.
A reading below 100 indicates there are more pessimists than optimists about the economy,... and the index has been under that level for three months in a row.
The central bank attributed the slight rebound to people expecting to earn more next year -- mainly due to the higher minimum wage.
In Korea, the minimum wage was increased by more than 16-percent this year, and another 10-point-9 percent rise is slated for 2019.