Korea's inflation picks up to 2.1 percent in March

Cass beer packs are shown beside customers shopping at a wholesale store in Seoul on March 30.Oriental Brewery raised the prices of all but one domestic beer, the 500-milliliter (16-ounce) Cass Beer, by an average of 2.9 percent. [NEWS1]

 
Korea’s headline inflation edged up in March, partially led by rising prices in food products and services.  
 
The consumer price index (CPI) rose 2.1 percent last month from a year ago, according to data Statistics Korea released Wednesday. The figure represented a mild acceleration from February's 2.0 percent rise.
 

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This marks the third month in a row for the annual CPI increase to remain in the 2 percent range.
 
Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, came in at 1.9 percent in March, compared to 1.8 percent a month prior.
 
The cost of living index, which tracks changes in the prices of 144 frequently purchased consumer goods and services, rose 2.4 percent, a deceleration from the previous month’s 2.6 percent.

BY SHIN HA-NEE [shin.hanee@joongang.co.kr]