SEOUL, April 2 (Reuters) - South Korea's consumer inflation quickened less than expected in March, data showed on Thursday, amid inflation worries over a surge in oil prices triggered by the Iran war.

The consumer price index rose 2.2% from a year earlier, higher than the 2.0% rise in the previous month but lower than a median 2.4% increase forecast in a Reuters poll of economists.

On a monthly basis, the index rose 0.3% in March, according to the Ministry of Data and Statistics, after rising 0.3% in February, also weaker than a forecast of 0.6%.