The country's business sentiment index remained pessimistic for May amid the protracted economic downturn and exacerbated tensions in the Middle East.

According to a monthly poll by the Federation of Korean Industries(FKI) released on Wednesday, the business survey index(BSI) for the country's top 600 companies by sales stood at 94-point-nine for May.

The BSI, which had climbed to 98-point-six points for April, dropped three-point-seven points.

A BSI figure below 100 means pessimists outnumbered optimists in the economic outlook. It has stayed under 100 for 26 consecutive months since April 2022.

The BSI for both the manufacturing and nonmanufacturing industry came to 95-point-five and 94-point-one for May, respectively.