With weaker local currency and concerns over Japan's trade restrictions, prices of South Korean chips actually went up in August.
Prices of other goods, like industrial and agricultural products, also increased.
Yoon Jung-min has the details.
Prices of semiconductors rose in August for the first time in 13 months due to a weaker Korean won and concerns over a possible drop in supply due to Tokyo's export curbs on Seoul.
The Bank of Korea said on Wednesday that both import and export price indices went up last month due to the weaker local currency against the greenback.
In August, the average won-dollar exchange rate was up nearly 3 percent on-month to around 1-thousand-209 won against the greenback.
And as the market is concerned about a possible production cut in semiconductors, there was higher demand for chips, including DRAMs, Flash Memory and System Semiconductors.
It's been over two months since Japan imposed export restrictions on key materials used in making chips,... with only three shipments bound for Seoul allowed so far.
An official at the central bank said the export curbs caused chip prices to go up.
Some experts said the price hike is not just a temporary market reaction but in fact, the price has begun to stabilize at a higher level.
The overall export price index was up 1-point-5 percent.
Other than semiconductors, the price index for industrial products was up 1-point-4 percent led by transportation equipment and chemical products. Agricultural and fishery product prices were also up by two-and-a-half percent.
Oil and coal prices, however, were down due to a fall in international oil prices.
The import price index edged up zero-point-9 percent despite the fall in global oil prices.
Raw material prices fell slightly, but costs went up for intermediary goods, including computers and electronics.
Yoon Jung-min, Arirang News.