A reading below 100 means pessimists outnumber optimists.

A BOK official attributed the improved consumer sentiment to increased exports and the Constitutional Court's recent decision to oust President Park Geun-hye over a corruption scandal.

Analysts said the court's decision removed a key political uncertainty in South Korea.

A separate index gauging the people's sentiment toward the current economic conditions came to 59 for March, up from 55 in February.

An index measuring the public's feelings toward economic conditions in the next six months stood at 77, up from 70 tallied last month, according to the BOK.

People's perceptions of employment slightly improved, with an index measuring the sentiment toward job opportunities coming to 76 in March, up from 70 in February, according to the BOK.

The monthly index is based on a survey of 2,026 households throughout the country from March 10 to 17. (Yonhap)