We're seeing the effects of this year's hot and wet summer at grocery stores' checkout. <br />South Korea's consumer prices in September rose by their fastest pace in 12 months...on the back of soaring vegetable prices. <br />Our Ko Roon-hee reports. <br />South Korea's consumer prices last month spiked by their fastest pace in a year on a sharp rise of agricultural goods prices. <br /><br /> According to Statistics Korea on Friday, consumer prices went up one-point-nine percent last month from a year earlier. <br />This is the highest on-year growth since September last year. <br />Prices remained in the one-percent growth range for the twelfth month in a row,... below the central bank's target of two percent. <br /><br /> The agency said soaring agricultural goods prices caused the hike. <br />Vegetable prices rose by a whopping 12-point-4 percent on-year... due to the record heatwave and heavy rainfall this summer.<br />In August, temperatures in Seoul sizzled at an 111-year high and the prolonged intense heat wave led to supply shortages. <br /><br /> Prices of petroleum products rose by ten-point-seven percent on-year...due to rising international oil prices. <br />Prices of gasoline and diesel have been increasing in South Korea for 13 weeks in a row.<br />Gasoline prices hit a record high for the year in September...at more than one-dollar-46 cents a liter. <br /><br /> Prices of electricity, water and gas dropped one-point-eight percent.<br />The price cut is less than last month's data...because the government's revision to the progressive electricity billing rates only took effect until August. <br /><br /> Service prices gained one-point-four percent.<br />Inflation excluding food and energy items, was up one percent on-year. <br />Ko Roon-hee, Arirang News. <br />
