Some Fast Chargers Fail Safety Standards... "Risk of Fire and Electric Shock"

Korea Consumer Agency, Results of Investigation on 20 Products

Products Non-Compliant with Insulation Distance, Contact Current, and Temperature Rise Standards and Test Results.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chunhan] Some fast chargers used to charge mobile devices such as smartphones have been found to pose safety concerns, including fire and electric shock risks.

On the 22nd, the Korea Consumer Agency conducted a safety and labeling investigation on 20 fast charger products distributed and sold in the market. The results showed that 4 products failed to meet safety standards aimed at preventing accidents.

One product had an insulation distance?the minimum distance that must be maintained between conductive parts (objects or materials capable of conducting electricity) to prevent leakage current between components when supplying high voltage?that was shorter than the standard. Another product had a contact current (the current flowing through the human body when touching device components) exceeding the allowable limit, posing a risk of electric shock. The remaining two products had some components exceeding the standard temperature, raising concerns about burns or fire due to overheating.

The Consumer Agency recommended voluntary corrective actions to the manufacturers, importers, and sellers of these products. Three businesses agreed to corrective measures such as halting sales and product recalls, but one company refused to comply. Since the Consumer Agency lacks authority to enforce further actions against the non-compliant company, it plans to notify the National Institute of Technology and Standards about the company and request strengthened safety and labeling supervision for fast chargers and other DC power devices.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.