South Korean manufacturers' confidence inched down for the second quarter on jitters over currency volatility and rising costs of raw materials, a poll showed Sunday.
In its survey of 1,326 local manufacturers, the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) said the business sentiment index slipped to 108 for the April-June period from 111 for the current quarter.
A reading above 100 means optimists outnumber pessimists. The index has been above 100 since the second quarter of 2009 when it reached 66.
"Concerns over rising costs of raw materials and volatile currency rates sent the index lower than the previous quarter," the chamber said in a report.
According to the findings, 28.1 percent of the respondents said their business conditions will improve in the second quarter, while 52.4 percent said they will be similar to those of the previous quarter. About 19.5 percent of the companies polled said conditions will deteriorate in the second quarter.
By business sector, car makers, refiners and medical equipment makers were optimistic about the second-quarter business climate, while shipbuilders, publishing firms and refiners expected their business climate to weaken slightly, the poll showed.