The consumer price index (CPI) stood at 113.37 in October, up 3.8 percent from a year earlier, according to Statistics Korea.
After peaking at 6.3 percent in July last year, the headline inflation had been on the decline and hit the bottom at 2.3 percent in July this year, but it rebounded to 3.4 percent in August, 3.7 percent in September and 3.8 percent in October.
Last month's faster inflation was driven by expensive farm goods and a slower slide in oil products price.
Price for agricultural, livestock and fishery products jumped 7.3 percent in October from a year earlier after gaining 3.7 percent in the previous month. It raised the overall headline inflation by 0.65 percentage points.
Agricultural products price soared 13.5 percent last month, marking the highest in 29 months since May 2021.
Oil products price slipped 1.3 percent in October on a yearly basis after retreating 25.9 percent in July, 11.0 percent in August and 4.9 percent in September.
The slower fall in oil products price was attributed to higher volatility in global crude oil prices, caused by geopolitical risks in the Middle East.
Gasoline price gained 6.9 percent, while prices for diesel and liquified petroleum gas (LPG) dipped 7.9 percent and 11.8 percent, respectively.
Price for industrial products, including oil products, advanced 3.5 percent in October from a year earlier after rising 3.4 percent in the previous month.
Processed food price added 4.9 percent in October after going up 5.8 percent in the prior month.
Price for electricity, natural gas and tap water climbed 9.6 percent last month, lower than an increase of 19.1 percent a month earlier.
Electricity bill jumped 14.0 percent, while city gas and water utility charges grew 5.6 percent and 4.6 percent, respectively.
Private services price, including eating-out cost, rose 4.1 percent in October from a year earlier after advancing 4.2 percent in September. Public services price added 2.2 percent.
Expense for dining out climbed 4.8 percent, while the private services price excluding the eating-out expense picked up 3.7 percent.
Housing rent, including Jeonse and monthly rent, was unchanged in October compared to the same month of last year.
Jeonse is South Korea's unique contract between two households where a landlord grants the two-year residential right to a tenant, who in turn lends a certain amount of money, or deposit, to the landlord.
The livelihood items index, which gauges price for daily necessities, gained 4.6 percent in October on a yearly basis.
The fresh food index, which measures the price of fish, shellfish, fruit and vegetable, soared 12.1 percent last month, posting the highest in 13 months since September last year.
Demand-side inflationary pressure hovered high. The core consumer price index, which excludes volatile agricultural and oil products, went up 3.6 percent in October, just below the headline inflation of 3.8 percent.
The OECD-method core price, excluding volatile energy and food costs, was up 3.2 percent last month.
The country's headline inflation still topped the Bank of Korea (BOK)'s midterm target of 2 percent for 31 months in a row.
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