South Korea's consumer prices rose 2.1% year-on-year in July 2025, easing slightly from the 2.2% increase in June and aligning closely with market expectations of 2.13%. The largest price gains were seen in miscellaneous goods & services (4.3%), food & non-alcoholic beverages (3.5%), household furnishings and maintenance (3.4%), restaurants & hotels (3.2%), and education (2.6%). The slight cooling in inflation comes as the Bank of Korea held interest rates steady at its July meeting, prioritizing financial stability amid pressure from US tariffs, surging housing prices, and rising household debt. On a monthly basis, consumer prices edged up 0.2%, just under the forecasted 0.22%.