<Anchor>



Prices, which seemed to have calmed down a bit, rose sharply again.

Utility bills such as electricity, gas, and water have increased the most since monthly statistics were compiled.



First of all, I am reporter Cho Ki-ho.



<Reporter>



Mr. Lee, who has a job while raising a child, was surprised to see the recent gas bill.



[Mr. Lee / Living in Incheon: I wondered if I was overdue for a month.]



There is not much difference in usage compared to a year ago, but the bill came up to 80,000 won more.



[Mr. Lee / Living in Incheon: We are in a situation where if we lower the (room) temperature, the hospital bill goes up, so we are looking for a way to reduce the bill by reducing it when I am alone and turning it on in the evening when the kids come.



] There are overflowing complaints from people who have been hit by a heating bill bomb.



Last month, consumer prices rose 5.2% from a year ago, reflecting the rise in public utility rates.



It is a 5% high price march for 9 consecutive months, but the price range, which had been sluggish at 5.0% for the previous two months, increased again.



The surge in electricity, gas, and water by 28.3% had the greatest impact, which is the highest since January 2010, when separate statistics began to be prepared.



Electricity rates jumped 29.5% from a year ago, city gas rates rose 36.2%, and district heating costs rose 34%.



Kerosene, a fuel for the common people, also jumped by nearly 38%.



At the beginning of the year, as companies raised the price of food such as bread and snacks one after another, processed food prices rose by 10%.



The cold wave also affected some vegetables such as ginger and leek.



I am more concerned about the future.



This is because Seoul taxi fares have risen, and gas prices are expected to rise in the second quarter.



[Chu Gyeong-ho/Deputy Prime Minister of Economy and Finance: Uncertainty is still high, such as inflation is expected to remain high for the time being, so tension cannot be relaxed.]



As the inflation rate is expected to be around 5% for the time being, the government has set it at 3% this year. The target has been under threat since the beginning of the year.



(Video coverage: Choi Ho-joon, Video editing: Ha Seong-won, CG: Kang Yun-jeong)



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