SEOUL, Oct 2 (Reuters) - South Korea's annual consumer inflation slowed to the 2% range in September, driven down by government price control measures and falling agricultural costs, official data showed on Friday.
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 2.9% in September from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Data and Statistics.
That marked a moderation from the 3.1% annual gain recorded in August and matched the 2.9% median forecast in a Reuters poll of economists.
On a monthly basis, consumer prices edged up 0.3%, picking up slightly after a 0.2% gain in the previous month.
The finance ministry attributed the deceleration to active policy measures, noting that price caps imposed on domestic petroleum prices helped curb inflationary pressures.
"Agricultural, livestock, and fisheries prices fell year-on-year for a second consecutive month, supported by targeted government measures ahead of the Chuseok holiday," it said in a statement.
By category, prices for agricultural, livestock, and fisheries products fell 0.3% from a year earlier, helping to moderate headline inflation.
Upward pressure remained across import-related costs. Industrial product prices rose 4.2% from a year earlier, driven largely by petroleum products, which jumped 11.8%. Diesel prices surged 20.0%.
Transport costs rose 7.7%, while prices at restaurants and hotels increased 2.8% compared with the same period last year.
(Reporting by Cynthia KimEditing by Ed Davies)
