South Korea's consumer prices rose 1.3 percent in December from a year earlier on gains in agricultural and industrial goods and the service sector, government data showed Monday.
The reading represents a decline from the previous month's 2 percent on-year gain, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea.
From a month earlier, the index fell 0.3 percent.
South Korea's central bank has said that it aims to keep consumer price growth under the 2 percent level for the mid to long term.
Prices of agricultural, livestock and fishery goods rose 5.2 percent on-year this month, compared with a 7.6 percent on-year gain tallied for November.
Prices of industrial goods edged up 0.1 percent from a year earlier, compared with a 1.4 percent on-year rise reported for the previous month, the agency said.
The statistical office said prices of service charges moved up 1.5 percent in December, vis-a-vis a 1.7 percent on-year increase in November.