SEOUL, May 2 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's consumer price inflation hovered above 2 percent for the fourth consecutive month due to higher prices for farm goods, industrial products and services, statistical office data showed Friday.

Consumer price index (CPI) gained 2.1 percent in April from a year earlier after going up 2.2 percent in January, 2.0 percent in February and 2.1 percent in March, according to Statistics Korea.

Headline inflation stayed above the Bank of Korea (BOK)'s mid-term inflation target of 2 percent amid the policy rate cuts.

The BOK lowered its benchmark interest rate by a quarter percentage point to 2.75 percent in February after cutting it by the same percentage point in October and November last year.

After bottoming at 1.3 percent last October, inflation showed an upward tendency with 1.5 percent in November and 1.9 percent in December last year.

Price for agricultural, livestock and fishery products rose 1.5 percent last month, faster than a growth of 0.9 percent in the previous month.

Agricultural products price decreased 1.5 percent, but those for livestock and fishery products increased 4.8 percent and 6.4 percent each.

Price for white radish and kimchi cabbage advanced in double digits, but those for tomato, oriental melon, zucchini and green onion retreated in double figures.

Price for pork, beef and imported beef mounted in single figures, while the mackerel price swelled 11.6 percent.

Price for industrial products, including oil products, expanded 1.5 percent in April, dragging up headline inflation by 0.50 percentage points.

Oil products price declined 1.7 percent in April from a year earlier amid cheaper crude oil, but processed food price spiked 4.1 percent on the back of the local currency's depreciation against the U.S. dollar.

The won/dollar exchange rate has hovered above 1,400 won per U.S. dollar since December last year.

Price for gasoline and diesel fell 2.4 percent and 2.9 percent each, but price for liquified petroleum gas (LPG) soared 10.6 percent last month.

Price for electricity, natural gas and tap water climbed 3.1 percent, pulling up the overall inflation by 0.12 percentage points.

City gas charges, heating costs and waterworks fees went up in single digits, but the electricity bill was down 0.4 percent.

Private service price, including eating-out cost, surged 3.3 percent last month, lifting the inflation by 1.12 percentage points. Public service price added 1.3 percent.

The eating-out expense was up 3.2 percent, and the private service price, excluding the dining-out cost, jumped 3.4 percent.

Housing rent, including Jeonse and monthly rent, inched up 0.7 percent in April from a year earlier.

Jeonse is South Korea's unique contract between two households where a landlord grants a two-year residential right to a tenant, who in turn lends a certain amount of money, or deposit, to the landlord.

The livelihood items index, which gauges price for daily necessities, picked up 2.4 percent in April on a yearly basis, but the fresh food index, which measures the price for fish, shellfish, fruit and vegetable, slipped 1.9 percent.

Demand-side inflationary pressure became stronger. Core consumer price index, which excludes volatile agricultural and oil products, appreciated 2.4 percent last month, faster than an expansion of 2.1 percent in the previous month.

The OECD-method core price, excluding volatile energy and food costs, swelled 2.1 percent in April after rising 1.9 percent in March. ■