Consumer prices remained stable in the one percent range for the fifth consecutive month in February, but food prices increased sharply.

According to Statistics Korea on Tuesday, consumer prices climbed one-point-four percent last month. 

However, prices of agricultural products grew more than seven percent due to the unprecedented cold snap, raising overall consumer prices by 34-hundredths of a percentage point. 

Service prices jumped one-point-seven percent while the cost of eating out surged two-point-eight percent, unchanged from January. 

Dining out expenses gained by the largest margin since increasing two-point-nine percent in February 2016.