The price of gasoline and diesel continued to decline this week at local pumps.
  
According to oil price portal Opinet run by the Korea National Oil Corporation, the average price of gas nationwide fell 15-point-one won to just over one-thousand-611 won per liter in the first week of December. Gasoline prices have dropped for the 13th consecutive week.
 
The average price of diesel also shed 16-point-two won this week to one-thousand-845-point-seven won, posting a drop for the third week in a row. However, diesel is still more expensive than gas by around 200 won, bucking the normal trend.
 
Meanwhile international oil prices also fell this week amid a rise in U.S. stockpiles, China's worsening export indicators and concerns of a global recession.
 
South Korea's benchmark the Dubai crude was down three dollars and 40 cents to 76 dollars and 70 cents a barrel.
 
Against this backdrop, domestic prices are expected to continue downward next week.