South Korea's composite consumer sentiment index declined to a three-month low at 89.8 points in December from 97.9 points in November, data from the Bank of Korea showed Tuesday.
A reading below 100 means pessimists outnumber optimists.
The subindex for people's assessment of current economic conditions fell 16 points to 56 in December and the index gauging people's sentiment toward future economic conditions reached 81 this month - up from 91 in November, the data showed.
The effects of coronavirus uncertainty weighed heavily, the central bank said in a statement.
Meanwhile, future household spending, future household income, current living standards and future living standards all deteriorated, the bank said.
While most components in the survey fell from the previous month, expectations for housing prices rose to the highest for data going back to 2013.
Rising property prices are a problem for the central bank as it tries to maintain low interest rates while being more cautious of risks from financial imbalances, The Korea Herald reported.
South Korea's stock market has tracked higher in three consecutive sessions - advancing more than 70 points or 2.7%, according to Nasdaq data. The forecast is optimistic thanks to Brexit and stimulus news, although selling in issues that have made recent gains may set in Tuesday, analysts said.
The KOSPI finished slightly higher Monday as gains from the financials and industrials were offset by weakness from the oil companies and a mixed picture from the technology stocks.
