The government said ceiling prices for petroleum products remain unchanged: 1,784 won per litre of petrol, 1,773 won for diesel and 1,380 won for kerosene. The ceiling system caps retail prices, so as long as the cap itself does not move, the upper limit consumers see at the pump stays where it is.

Between crude and inflation

Behind the decision is volatility in international crude tied to Middle East conditions. When import costs rise, refiners absorb more of the burden, but a fixed ceiling prevents that cost from passing straight through to consumers. If the arrangement runs long, however, the question of how accumulated pressure in refining and distribution gets resolved moves to the front.

Fuel is a high-leverage line in the inflation basket. It feeds into food and manufactured goods through transport costs and attaches directly to delivery and logistics bills for small businesses. That is why holding the cap is read as defending the headline inflation figure.

Who feels it first

The businesses that feel a price cap first are those burning fuel in volume every day: freight haulage, delivery services, and small restaurants that use kerosene or liquefied gas for cooking heat.

For ethnic Chinese owners running Chinese restaurants in central Incheon and Seoul, kerosene and gas costs are the fixed expense they watch most closely after rent. Whether the 1,380 won kerosene ceiling holds into winter becomes a variable in second-half planning.

The government says it will review adjustments while watching crude prices and the exchange rate. Changes to the ceiling have customarily come with advance notice.