SEOUL, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's producer prices rebounded for the first time in five months in August due to a jump in agricultural and petroleum products, data by the central bank showed Monday.
The producer price index (PPI), a barometer of future consumer price inflation, advanced 0.7 percent in August from a month earlier, the first rebound in five months, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK). From a year before, the prices rose 0.3 percent last month, a turnaround from a 0.1 percent fall for July.
A hike in farm goods and oil product prices led last month's rebound, indicating that consumer price inflation may be pressured upwardly down the road. The consumer prices rose 1.2 percent in August from a year earlier, the lowest in more than 12 years.
Prices for agricultural, livestock and fishery products surged 5.5 percent on-month in August, jumping from a 0.2 percent rise in the previous month. Fruit prices surged 11.2 percent last month, a turnaround from a 4.6 percent declined a month before, with vegetable prices soaring 13.4 percent.
Manufactured goods prices gained 0.6 percent on-month in August, rebounding from a 0.8 percent decline for July. Prices for petroleum and chemical products rebounded last month from a minus growth in the previous month due to higher global oil prices.
Service prices were up 0.1 percent in August from a month before after gaining 0.2 percent in July. Transport service prices edged up 0.1 percent last month, down from a 0.5 percent gain in July.
Prices for electricity, water and gas jumped 2.7 percent on- month in August, up from a 0.1 percent rise for July.
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