S. Korea's consumer price growth hits 16-month low in Aug.

SEJONG, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's consumer prices increased at the slowest pace in 16 months, rekindling concerns of possible deflation in Asia's fourth-largest economy saddled with a protracted slump in domestic demand and falling exports, government data showed Thursday.

The country's consumer price index rose 0.4 percent last month from a year earlier, staying below the 1 percent level for four straight months, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea.

The August figure also marked the lowest on-year gain since April last year, when it moved up 0.4 percent.

From a month earlier, the index edged down 0.1 percent in August.

Core inflation, which excludes volatile oil and food prices, increased 1.7 percent compared with last year, remaining unchanged from a month earlier.

brk@yna.co.kr
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