2월 소비자심리지수 99.5...3개월 연속 상승

South Korea's central bank released its data on consumer sentiment for February... and it shows an upward trend in recent months.
Kim Hyesung reports.
South Korea's consumer sentiment rose for the third consecutive month in February.
The Bank of Korea says its monthly consumer sentiment index climbed two points on-month to 99-point-five.
The central bank said the improved performance of the local stock market and an uptick in North Korea-U.S. relations offset negative sentiment stemming from slowing export growth....lifting overall consumer sentiment.
After remaining lodged at the 2-thousand level late last year...Korea's benchmark KOSPI bounced back to the 22-hundred range in February on various factors, including rising optimism over a possible U.S.-China trade agreement.
However,...the index has remained below 100 for five straight months, meaning there are more pessimists than optimists about the local economy.
Among six major sub-indexes, four, including households' view of current economic conditions rose sharply, up five points to 70.
The view of future economic conditions jumped four points to 80.
Households' income outlook and consumer spending outlook remained unchanged from the previous month, at 98 and 109, respectively.
The results were compiled from a survey conducted from February 11th to 18th on 23-hundred households.
Kim Hyesung, Arirang News.