SEOUL, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- Price for goods imported to South Korea fell for two straight months through December on cheaper crude oil, central bank data showed on Tuesday.
The import price index shed 3.4 percent in December from a month earlier, after sliding 4.5 percent in November, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK).
It came amid a lower global crude oil price. Dubai crude, South Korea's benchmark, was 57.32 U.S. dollars per barrel in December, down 12.6 percent from the previous month.
Price for imported raw materials declined 6.6 percent in December from a month ago. Price for intermediate goods such as coal and oil product dipped 2.7 percent last month.
Prices for capital and consumer goods shed 0.4 percent and 0.8 percent, respectively.
The export price index fell 2 percent in December from a month earlier, keeping a downward trend for two months in a row.
Export prices for oil and chemical products retreated amid the lower crude oil price, while the local currency's ascent to the U.S. dollar contributed to lower export price.
