Consumer prices rise more than 2 pct in Jan. for first time in 5 months

SEOUL, Feb. 5 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's consumer prices increased more than 2 percent from a year earlier last month on a weak local currency that pushed up import prices, data showed Wednesday.

Consumer prices, a key gauge of inflation, rose 2.2 percent on-year in January, according to the data from Statistics Korea. It marked the first time in five months that prices increased by more than 2 percent.

South Korea's consumer inflation has remained below 3 percent since April last year and below the central bank's 2 percent target in September, when it grew 1.6 percent on-year.

The inflation rate dipped further to 1.3 percent in October before slightly rising to a 1.5 percent increase the following month. The rate came to 1.9 percent in December.

khj@yna.co.kr
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