South Korea's wholesale price index, base1980, rose 0.4 pct to 127.0 in May after a 1.1 pct rise in
April and was 1.5 pct higher than in May 1986, the Bank of
Korea said.
    The May consumer price index, which has the same base, rose
1.4 pct to 149.1 after a 0.3 pct gain in April, for a
year-on-year rise of 3.5 pct.
    Wholesale prices rose 2.0 pct in the first five months of
1986, while consumer prices rose by 3.2 pct. Bank officials
said the rises were due to a strong yen which made imports of
Japanese parts, raw and intermediary materials more expensive.
 REUTER
