Korean inflation stays above 2% target for 3rd consecutive month

The Republic of Korea's consumer prices grew over the Bank of Korea's 2 per cent target for the third consecutive month in November, largely due to sharp increases in agricultural and petroleum product prices, government data showed on Tuesday.

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Consumer prices, a key gauge of inflation, increased 2.4 per cent from a year earlier last month, according to the data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics.

In 2025, inflation had remained above 2 per cent for four consecutive months through April before slowing to 1.9 per cent in May, reported Yonhap News Agnecy.

It later rose above 2 per cent in both June and July before briefly slowing to 1.7 per cent in August and again rising over 2 per cent in September and October.

Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, rose 2.9 per cent on-year in November, the ministry said. It marks the highest increase since July of last year, when it increased 3 per cent on-year.

Net foreign selling on the Republic of Korea's main stock market reached a new monthly high in November, while individual investors remained net buyers, the bourse operator said on Sunday.