Consumer sentiment in the country worsened in March due to the rising prices of agricultural products and slow domestic consumption. 

According to the Bank of Korea(BOK) on Tuesday, the composite consumer sentiment index dropped one-point-two points from last month to stand at 100-point-seven in March, surpassing the 100-point threshold to indicate that optimists outnumber pessimists.

The BOK attributed the slight fall to a rise in the costs of agricultural produce and sluggish domestic demand.

A sub-index measuring the consumer outlook regarding the key interest rate dropped two points month-on-month to 98 in March, while the index for housing prices rose three points to 95.

Expected inflation for the year ahead marked three-point-two percent in March, up zero-point-two percentage points from the previous month.