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Gasoline prices at gas stations are also rising in the new year.

This is because gasoline tax benefits have been reduced, but gas stations, which were slowly reflecting due to inventory when the price of oil was lowered earlier, are now rapidly raising prices, which is the opposite.



Reporter Jo Ki-ho covered the story.



<Reporter> The



evening of the 31st of last month.



A gas station in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, famous for cheap gas, was crowded with cars.



On the same day, there was a 200m line in front of a gas station in Jamsil, Seoul.



As the 37% oil tax cut rate applied to gasoline from New Year's Day was reduced to 25%, they rushed to add fuel in advance.



If the reduction in cuts is fully reflected in the price, the price will rise by 99 won per liter.



Some places raised prices even before the New Year.



[Gasoline vehicle driver residing in Daegu: The signpost at the gas station entrance says it's 1,449 won or so.

Then I went in and put in oil, but it changed to 1,459 won and went in…

.]



There were still many gas stations that reduced taxes slowly for reasons of inventory depletion, and immediately reflected them when going up.



Yesterday (1st), 1 in 4 gas stations raised gasoline prices.



There were 329 gas stations that raised 99 won or more, or 3% of the total, and one gas station in North Gyeongsang Province raised 200 won per liter.



[Cho Won-chan / Gasoline vehicle driver: From my point of view, when I say that the oil tax has gone down, it doesn't seem like it has gone down that much.

.]



Comparing July 2 last year, the second day of the 37% reduction in oil tax, and today, the second day after the reduction to 25%, it was found that 5 out of 17 provinces raised the tax more than the reduction.



[Lee Seo-hye/CEO of E-Consumer: I bought it when it was cheap before, so there is no reason to upload it in one day at a high price...

.

If the international oil price increase is already included in the inventory value last week, you don't have to reflect it right away...

.]



About 80% of gas stations nationwide are private businesses, so it is difficult for the government to directly intervene in price, but some point out that they only fill the market with high prices.



(Video editing: Lee Sang-min, VJ: Park Hyun-woo, Screen provided: Viewer Kim Geon-yul)