South Korea Inflation Eases in November on Falling Food, Fuel Prices
• South Korea's inflation eased to 3.3% in November from 3.8% in October, offering some relief to policymakers • It marked the first monthly decline in inflation since November 2021, falling 0.6% from the previous month • Core inflation excluding food and energy also slowed to 3.0%, down from recent months • The drop came mainly from falling fresh food and fuel prices • The Bank of Korea kept interest rates steady at 3.5% last week, but may need to maintain restrictive policy to control lingering inflation risks