Local gasoline and diesel prices fell for the 12th straight week.

According to Opinet, the Korea National Oil Corporation's online tracker, the nationwide gasoline price in the fourth week of December was one-thousand-582-point-six won per liter, five-point-nine won less than the previous week.

The weekly diesel price was one-thousand-500-point-one won per liter, a nine-point-four won on-week dip.

International oil prices climbed due to threats to Red Sea shipping by Houthi rebels in Yemen and expectations of a U.S. interest rate cut.

Dubai crude, Korea's benchmark, stood at 79-point-three dollars a barrel, up one-point-three dollars from the previous week.

However, international gasoline prices fell zero-point-two dollars to 88-point-six dollars a barrel, while diesel for automobiles rose zero-point-seven dollars to 100-point-eight dollars a barrel.

Domestic oil prices usually take about two weeks to reflect changes in international oil prices.