Inflation & Prices
South Korean Inflation Picks Up on Higher Energy, Food Costs
- Inflation rises during holiday while core prices stay stable
- BOK focused on economic growth even as won worries persist
South Korea’s consumption remains another concern for policymakers.
Photographer: Jean Chung/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
The Bank of Korea predicted inflationary pressure will soon cool after price growth topped consensus in the latest reading, as authorities balance support for an economy threatened by Donald Trump’s tariffs against the risk that policy easing could further hit a local currency already battered by political turmoil.
Consumer prices advanced 2.2% in January from a year earlier, faster than the 1.9% rise in December, the statistics office reported Wednesday. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg had forecast the pace of price growth would quicken to 2.1%.