SEOUL, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Prices for goods and services among South Korean suppliers rebounded last month on the back of scorching heat and higher energy costs, central bank data showed Friday.
The producer price index (PPI) edged up 0.2 percent in August from a month earlier, reversing from a brief downturn in the previous month, according to the Bank of Korea.
It was driven by a surge in prices for agricultural, livestock and fisheries products, which jumped 3.8 percent in the cited month.
Agricultural product prices soared 4.9 percent as a severe heatwave led to poor crop yields, while livestock product prices advanced 2.8 percent due to higher pork prices caused by heat deaths.
Prices for electricity, gas, water and waste among suppliers gained 0.9 percent month-on-month in August, propelled by an 11.0 percent spike in industrial city gas rates.
Producer prices for industrial products, including oil products, remained flat as higher prices for coal and petroleum products were offset by lower prices for electrical equipment.
Services prices were also unchanged as a rise in costs for food and accommodation services was counterbalanced by a fall in expenses for financial and insurance services. ■