South Korea's business sentiment index fell to its lowest level in more than four years amid ongoing political uncertainties and the weakening of the local currency. 

According to the Bank of Korea on Friday, the Business Survey Index(BSI) for all industries stood at 87 in December, representing a four-point-five point dip from the previous month. 

This marks the lowest since September 2020, during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The drop of four-point-five points marks the steepest decline since January 2023, when the index dropped five-point-six points. 

A reading below 100 indicates that pessimists outnumber optimists.

The BSI for manufacturers slipped three-point-seven points month-on-month to 86-point-nine in December.

The index for nonmanufacturing industries, which includes restaurants, wholesalers and retail businesses, plunged five points to 87-point-one.