The EU plug looks almost identical to the Korean plug, but can it be used in South Korea?
Difference between EU and KR plug
The white one is the KR plug, and the black one is the EU plug.
Can you see any difference?
The Korean plug is 4.8mm thick, which is thicker than the EU plug, which is 4.0mm thick.
So, if you go to Europe and plug in a Korean plug, it will not go in.
Conversely, if you go to South Korea and plug in a European plug, it will go in, but it will be plugged in loosely and not properly fixed.
If you plug the EU plug into a Korean outlet, it will plug in.
Even when you turn on the product, it turns on and works.
However, because the product works right away, thinking that ‘EU plugs are compatible with Korean outlets’ is a dangerous idea.
If it’s loosely connected, the contact point between the outlet and the plug is not tightly engaged, causing frequent sparks whenever the plug moves, which can lead to device breakdown or fire.
The conclusion is that ‘EU plugs and Korean outlets are not compatible.’
Although they may appear compatible on the surface, in reality, have completely different specifications.
How to Choose an EU to KR Conversion Adapter?
Usually, even online sellers do not properly differentiate between European and Korean plugs and sell them, so you need to look carefully before purchasing.
As explained above, the biggest difference is ‘thickness’.
If you do not focus on this thickness, it is easy to get confused when choosing a product.
If you search for ‘EU KR adapter’ on many online shopping malls, they explain that a 4.0mm plug can be used in both Korea and Europe, or on the contrary, they sell a 4.8mm plug as an EU plug.
So, as in the photo above, the thickness must be clearly stated as ‘4.8’ in the photo or picture,
or just look for a product that says in the product description that the thickness is 4.8mm.
If you’re tired of finding it, I’ll just leave a link to the plug.
Make sure to select 4.8mm.
https://aliexpress.com/item/1005003218982610.html
It can convert not only European plugs but also US (US) and CN (China) plugs.
However, since the maximum current is 6A, high-output products with electric heating functions such as hair dryers should not be connected.
(Hair dryers often exceed 1500W.)
I get nothing from that link.