Consumer prices have slowed by 1% for the second month..."Kimjang Price" is still unstable.

[Anchor]
Consumer price growth hit 1.3% last month, continuing a slowdown of 1% for the second month.

However, ahead of the kimchi-making season, vegetables such as cabbage and tofu showed a high rise of more than 10%.

Connect reporters. Reporter Oh In-seok!

Please tell me the details.

[Reporter]
The Office for National Statistics reported last month that consumer price growth rose 1.3 percent from the same month a year ago.

This is the lowest price level in three years and nine months since January 2021 when it was 0.9%.

Consumer prices have recently slowed to around 1% for the second month, following 1.6% in September.

The living price index, which is close to perceived prices, rose 1.2%, falling to the 1% level for the second month.

The drop in oil prices was the biggest drop in 15 months, driving down consumer prices.

Petrol fell 10.6% and diesel fell 16.1% while oil prices fell 10.9%.

Agricultural prices rose 1.2%, with apples falling 20% and grapes falling 6.5%.

Rice prices fell 8.7%, the biggest drop in 21 months.

Vegetable prices, on the other hand, rose 15.6% from a year ago, the highest gain since October 2022.

Cabbage and radish, which are kimchi ingredients, jumped more than 50% each, and lettuce rose 49.3%.

Prices for personal services, including eating out, rose 2.9%.

The government held a meeting of vice ministers on price relations this morning and assessed that oil prices fell sharply, and agricultural, livestock, and marine products prices slowed to around 1%, solidifying downward stability in prices.

If there is no special external shock, the price flow will continue within 2%.

However, as the price burden such as vegetables remains, he said he will implement measures to stabilize the supply and demand of kimchi ingredients ahead of the kimchi-making season.

Cabbage will be supplied 24,000 tons by increasing the contract cultivation volume by 10% from last year, and seasoned vegetables such as peppers, garlic, and onions will also be supplied flexibly according to supply and demand conditions.

In line with the two-month extension of the oil tax cut until the end of the year, subsidies for diesel and compressed natural gas oil prices for buses, taxis, lorries, and coastal cargo ships will also be extended for another two months until the end of the year.

I'm YTN's Oh In-seok.