Recommended Travel Adapters For Korea

I recently had a group of tourists here in Korea and one of them didn’t realize there were different power sockets in different countries. If you haven’t traveled abroad that often, or maybe stuck to one continent if you did, you may not have noticed that there are different kinds of power sockets all over the world. It’s important to know what the right power adapter for Korea is, if you’ll be coming here.

Don’t get here and realize you can’t plug a darn thing in. Power up! When you start packing to travel to Korea, here is what you need to know about travel adapters to travel to Korea.

Answers to the most common questions about power adapters and travel to Korea:

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What is the standard voltage in Korea?

The standard voltage in South Korea is 220 volts and 60Hz. If the standard voltage in your country is between 220 and 240 volts, like in the UK, Europe, Australia, and most of Asia and Africa, then you can use your electric appliances in Korea. If the standard voltage in your country is in the range of 100 and 127 volts, as in the US, Canada, and most South American countries, then you’ll need a voltage converter. If you’re in the latter group, then you should consider getting a combined power plug adapter/voltage converter before traveling to Korea.

If the frequency of 60Hz differs from your country, then you should not use your appliances. If there’s no voltage difference, you could try to use your appliance for a short time but do so at your own risk, You can check the label of all appliances to see what voltage and frequency yours use. If you check out the label and it says ‘INPUT: 100-240V, 50/60 Hz’, then you can use it in every country in the world and that’s usually what you’ll find on tablets, laptops, cameras, phones, and toothbrushes. But, make sure you check.

What is a power adapter?

A power adapter is a small, lightweight, fairly cheap item that lets you plug in your devices and appliances into an outlet with a different shaped power plug. Depending on where you’re traveling to and from, you may or may not need one but it’s something you should check before you go anywhere.

It’s important to be aware that a power adapter only adapts the shape of the plug to fit into an outlet, it does not convert the voltage so you may also need a power converter depending on where you’re going to or coming from as mentioned above. It’s possible to get a power converter/adapter, a 2-in-1, if necessary.

If you’re traveling to Korea, you just need one adapter and you can use it on everything from hotels to even trains. Keep it with you and you can plug in anywhere. Wherever you see an outlet, train station included, sit down and plug in.

What kind of plug is used in Korea?

South Korea has two types of plugs, the Plug Type C (Europlug) and the Plug Type F (German Schuko). These kind of plugs have two round pins that are placed 19mm apart from each other. The pins fit into two 4.0mm to 4.8mm round holes. These are the same plugs used in most of Europe so if you’re coming from there, you’re good to go.

If you’re traveling from the United States to South Korea, you will need to bring a power adapter to fit your items with US plugs into Korean power outlets. Your devices from the States will not be able to fit into the outlet at all. Additionally, you’ll need a power converter if your device isn’t dual voltage because the voltage is much higher. (If you’re not sure what dual voltage is, keep reading to see how to figure out what your device is.)

How to tell if my device is single voltage or dual voltage

You can find out if your device or appliance is dual voltage by looking at the rating plate. A dual voltage rated device/appliance will display something like this: ‘INPUT: 110-240V’ somewhere on the appliance or its power supply. If you see this, it means you don’t need a converter or transformer, but you would still need a travel adapter.

If your appliance does not have the rating written above or something similar, then it is probably single voltage which means you would need both a travel adapter and a power converter or transformer.

Can I get a power adapter/power converter in Korea?

Yes, you can. However, if you’re a short-term tourist or just generally unaware of where to find various things in Korea, I’d recommend getting one prior to arrival so you have one less thing to worry about. You can find power adapters and power converters at local electrical shops and some convenience stores in Korea. But again, I wouldn’t recommend getting here and searching for one if you can help it.

Do I need a power transformer/power converter to travel to Korea?

Most electronics today, like your laptops and camera battery chargers, have built in power transformers to adapt to local voltage. You should note that a power adapter does not convert the voltage though so if you have a device that can fit into a Korean outlet but is not the correct frequency or you have a device that cannot fit into the outlet, has a different frequency, and you use an adapter, you will also need a converter.

I have a converter because somehow we ended up with two appliances with American plugs. It’s worth it if you’ll be living here in Korea for longer to get a converter or just make sure you get everything with a Korean plug.

How to recharge USB devices in Korea

If you just have USB devices that you wish to recharge, like your phone or tablet, you can use a USB travel power adapter which should work with any voltage. Again, make sure that you have gotten a suitable USB travel adapter with a Type F plug adapter as mentioned above otherwise use a plug adapter on your USB charger.

Recommended power adapters for South Korea

There are a variety of things you can bring with you so we’ll go through the various power adapter options. You should find the best power adapter for Korea for you. Usually these are offered as working in over 150 different countries in the world, so you buy one and you’ll pretty much be set for any future travel. They are compact and lightweight and easy to travel with. These days, some of them even include USB charging ports as well so you could get this as an all-in-one travel option.

Ceptics World Power Plug Adapter Set

Ceptics power plug adapter, travel adapter

You can charge four devices at once. There are two USA input outlets, one USB input outlet, and one USB-C input outlet. This is a great option if you’ve got a phone, camera, laptop, tablet, and/or power bank. Find out more about the Ceptics World Power Plug Adapter Set here.

NEWVANGA International Power Adapter

NEWVANGA power adapter, travel adapter, plug adapter

This worldwide adapter has Type A, Type C, Type G, Type I plugs and are suitable for 150 countries around the world. This international travel adapter has four USB ports and a one outlet for a device with a regular plug. This is perfect for and easy for your travel needs. Find out more about the NEWVANGA International Power Adapter here.

Pac2Go Universal Travel Adapter

You can plug up to five devices into this fast charging lightweight compact travel adapter. This rapid charging wall charger comes with a nice travel case as well. This has everything you need to travel around the world. Check out more about the Pac2Go Universal Travel Adapter here.

Ouliyo International Travel Plug Adapter

With four retractable plugs, this international power converter/adapter combo has four USB ports and an all-in-one plug and socket. This is a great option if you have multiple things to charge or plug in. You can get more information on the Ouliyo International Travel Adapter here.

Don’t forget to bring a power bank

On top of bringing a power adapter/power converter to Korea, I highly recommend that you bring a power bank as well. It’s not uncommon to run out of battery quickly especially when traveling. With the prevalence of Wifi everywhere from cafes to public buses, you will likely use your phone more than you expect. I often have tourists tell me that their phone has died at some point along the way. Almost everyone here carries a phone bank for this reason. Don’t forget yours.

There are a lot of great options for power banks out there and they come in everything from cute to cool or super simple and straightforward silver or black. You can get a ton of power banks out there.

Are you getting ready to travel to Korea? I hope you found some useful information here and we’ll see you soon!