[Moody's Analysis: South Korea's Core Inflation Slows, Price Pressures Ease] According to a report by Jinse Finance, on October 2, Moody's Analytics economist John Bromhead stated that South Korea's September inflation data might indicate that the Bank of Korea's recent tight monetary policy is beginning to alleviate underlying price pressures. He noted that the core inflation rate slowed from 3.4% in the previous month to 2.8%. With supply improvements around the Chuseok holiday, agricultural price pressures have eased, and the upward momentum in service sector inflation has also weakened. "Overall, inflation seems to be becoming less widespread, though elevated energy costs remain a persistent source of pressure for households and businesses," he added. While further rate hikes by the Bank of Korea are unlikely to ease inflation driven by energy and transportation costs, strong trade data in September may provide the central bank with enough room to consider another rate hike in November. (Jin10)