Replacing a faucet (수전, sujeon) is one of the easiest, highest-payoff DIY jobs in a Korean apartment. No tile work, no demolition, no contractor. Korean DIY communities and the home-design app Ohouse (오늘의집) routinely clock the swap at about 15 minutes once you have the right part and a wrench (Ohouse, 2024). The hard part isn't the labor. It's buying a faucet that actually fits your wall or sink before you start.

This guide walks through both jobs — the bathroom basin/wall faucet and the kitchen sink faucet — and explains the Korean plumbing standards (PT vs. G threads, the 편심 eccentric connector, 150 mm centers) that decide whether your new faucet bolts on in 15 minutes or sends you back to the store.

Note: This is a DIY plumbing guide, not professional advice. If you rent (전세/월세), check your lease before swapping fixtures, and keep the old faucet to reinstall at move-out. If your shutoff valves are seized or you find corroded pipe threads, stop and call a plumber (설비 기사). Water damage to a downstairs unit (누수) is expensive and is on you.

Quick Answer: Replacing a Korean apartment faucet

Most home faucets in Korea use PT 1/2" (15A) threaded connections. PT is the Korean tapered pipe thread (KS B 0222, equivalent to the international R/BSPT 1/2"). Wrap the male threads with PTFE (테프론) tape before screwing in (rdsong, 2023).
Wall-mounted bathroom faucets bridge two pipes spaced ~150 mm apart using a pair of eccentric connectors (편심, pyeonsim) that twist to absorb 10–20 mm of misalignment (Ppomppu DIY forum, 2023).
You need three tools: an adjustable wrench (몽키스패너) that opens past 30 mm, PTFE tape, and a towel. That's the whole kit for most swaps (Danawa, 2023).
Always shut off the water first. Bathroom and kitchen faucets usually have local valves under the sink or behind the unit; if not, shut the hot and cold valves in the hallway meter box (계량기함) (rdsong, 2023).

What kinds of faucets are in a Korean apartment, and which can I DIY?

Korean apartments (아파트) use a handful of standard faucet types. LX Z:IN, the interiors arm of LX Hausys, sorts them two ways — by how the body mounts, and by how many holes the deck has (LX Z:IN, 2024).

Faucet type (Korean)	Where it lives	Connection	DIY difficulty
벽붙이 수전 (wall-mounted)	Bathroom basin, bathtub, old kitchens	Two PT 1/2" wall pipes at ~150 mm centers, joined with eccentrics	Easy–Medium
원홀 세면 수전 (single-hole deck basin)	Basin set on a counter/cabinet	One deck hole, flexible hoses to valves below	Easy
싱크대 수전 (deck kitchen faucet)	Kitchen sink	Deck hole, hoses to the distributor (분배기) in the lower cabinet	Easy
매립형 수전 (concealed/recessed)	Premium showers, walls	Valve body buried in the wall	Hard — not DIY
입수형 / 노출형 (surface-mounted)	Most showers and basins	Threads exposed at the wall	Easy–Medium

The rule of thumb: if you can see the connection, you can usually DIY it. Concealed (매립형) faucets bury the mixing valve inside the wall, so swapping one means opening tile — leave that to a pro (LX Z:IN, 2024). Everything else — basin faucets, kitchen faucets, exposed shower mixers — is a beginner-to-intermediate job.

If you're not sure which faucet style suits your bathroom before buying, our Korean apartment bathroom renovation guide walks through how fixtures fit the larger remodel.

What is the Korean faucet thread standard — PT, G, or NPT?

This is where most first-time swaps go wrong. Match the thread and the swap is trivial. Get it wrong and you fight leaks all day.

Korea's domestic plumbing runs on PT threads — pipe taper, the Korean name for the tapered pipe thread defined in KS B 0222, which mirrors the international R / BSPT (ISO 7-1) standard. The workhorse size for home faucets is PT 1/2", also written 15A in Korean catalogs. Because PT is tapered, the threads wedge tighter as you turn, and you seal the joint with PTFE tape rather than a washer.

The other thread you'll meet is G (a parallel/straight BSPP thread, ISO 228). G 1/2" measures about 20.96 mm outer diameter, 14 threads per inch, at a 55° thread angle (CN-AIM, 2023). G threads seal with a flat rubber washer at the face, not on the threads — you'll see G on flexible supply hoses and shower-hose ends, where a gasket does the sealing.

Marking	Type	Angle	Where you see it in Korea	Seals with
PT 1/2" (15A)	Tapered (KS B 0222 ≈ R/BSPT)	55°	Wall pipes, faucet inlets, distributor outlets	PTFE tape on threads
G 1/2" (PF)	Parallel/straight (ISO 228 / BSPP)	55°	Hose ends, shower hoses, swivel fittings	Flat rubber washer
NPT 1/2"	Tapered (American)	60°	Imported US fixtures only	PTFE tape (with caution)

Two warnings that save real headaches:

PT and NPT are not interchangeable. They share a nominal size but cut the thread at different angles (55° vs. 60°). Forcing a US (NPT) faucet onto Korean (PT) pipe cross-threads and weeps. If you import a fixture, buy a proper adapter (Sannke, 2023).
A G male into a PT female "almost" fits, then leaks. Parallel threads bottom out against a washer; tapered ones jam mid-thread. If a fitting won't seat cleanly by hand for the first few turns, stop and check the type.

The practical takeaway: when you buy a Korean-market faucet from Daelim Bath, Royal & Co, or any 욕실 specialist, the inlets are PT 1/2" by default and will mate to your existing wall pipe or distributor. The pipe diameter under almost every Korean apartment sink is 15 mm (1/2") (Ppomppu DIY forum, 2023).

What tools and parts do I need for a Korean 수전 교체?

Keep it simple. The Danawa shopping guide for faucet swaps lists almost nothing beyond a wrench (Danawa, 2023).

Item (Korean)	Purpose	Notes
몽키스패너 (adjustable wrench)	Loosen/tighten nuts and eccentrics	Must open past 30 mm for wall faucets
테프론 테이프 (PTFE tape)	Seal PT threads	White plumber's tape; cheap, buy two rolls
수건 / 키친타올 (towel)	Catch trapped water	Hoses dump leftover water when removed
일자/십자 드라이버 (screwdriver)	Tighten eccentric locks, some mounts	Flathead seats in eccentric base slot
새 수전 (new faucet)	The replacement	Confirm PT 1/2" inlets + correct centers
(선택) 펌프 플라이어	Grip awkward fittings	Optional, for stuck nuts

If you're building out a basic home toolkit anyway, see our best Korean DIY tool kits for beginners — an adjustable wrench and PTFE tape are the two items you'll reuse on nearly every fixture job.

One purchase rule before you order: measure first. For a wall faucet, measure the center-to-center distance between the two pipe stubs (target ~150 mm). For a deck faucet, measure the deck hole diameter (Korean single-hole basins are typically cut around 32–35 mm) and confirm the new faucet's hoses reach your valves. Buying blind is the #1 reason a "15-minute" job turns into a return trip.

How do I replace a bathroom wall faucet? (벽붙이 세면/욕조 수전)

The wall-mounted basin and bathtub faucet is the most common bathroom swap. Its whole personality is the eccentric connector (편심) — two S-shaped fittings that thread into the wall pipes on one end and accept the faucet body on the other, twisting to align two pipes that are never quite the right distance apart.

Step 1 — Shut off the water

Find the hot/cold shutoff valves. In many apartments they're right at the wall behind the faucet or just inside the bathroom. If there's no local valve, go out to the hallway meter box (계량기함) and close the lever valves there. Then open the old faucet to bleed the line until the dribble stops (rdsong, 2023).

Step 2 — Remove the old faucet and eccentrics

The faucet body is held to the two eccentrics by a cap nut (반시계 방향 = counterclockwise to loosen) on each side. Back those off with the wrench, lift the body away, then unscrew the old eccentrics from the wall pipes. Expect a little trapped water — keep a towel ready (rdsong, 2023).

Step 3 — Wrap PTFE tape and install the new eccentrics

Wrap the male PT threads of each new eccentric with PTFE tape in the direction the fitting turns (clockwise as you look at the end) so tightening doesn't unwind it. Korean DIY guides converge on about 12 wraps as standard, up to ~20 if it weeps (Ohouse, 2024; rdsong, 2023). General hardware guidance lands a bit lower at 5–7 wraps for a snug PT joint (Neweveryinfo, 2023) — start moderate, add more only if it leaks. Thread both eccentrics into the wall pipes hand-tight, then snug with the wrench.

Step 4 — Align the eccentrics to the faucet's two holes

This is the move that makes wall faucets fiddly. The faucet body has two inlets at a fixed spacing (typically 150 mm). Rotate each eccentric so its outlet face lines up with the faucet hole and sits level. The eccentric's off-center design lets you fine-tune 10–20 mm of horizontal play and dial in level (Ppomppu DIY forum, 2023). Once aligned, lock the eccentric base with a screwdriver in its slot so it can't rotate (rdsong, 2023).

Step 5 — Mount the body and pressure-test

Slip the supplied gaskets onto the eccentric faces, hang the faucet body, and hand-thread both cap nuts before snugging with the wrench (don't crank — you'll crush the gasket). Reopen the water slowly and watch every joint for 2–3 minutes. A bead of water means back the joint off and add a few more PTFE wraps (Neweveryinfo, 2023).

Renting? A wall-faucet swap is reversible — keep the original faucet and eccentrics in a labeled bag. For more on what's safe to change in a lease, see Korean jeonse apartment interior rules and restrictions.

How do I replace a single-hole basin faucet? (원홀 세면 수전)

The deck-mounted single-hole basin faucet is the easiest bathroom swap because there are no eccentrics to align — just two flexible supply hoses and one mounting bolt.

Shut off the angle stops under the basin (or the hallway meter valves) and bleed the line.
Disconnect the two supply hoses from the angle valves with the wrench. Trapped water will drip — towel underneath (rdsong, 2023).
Loosen the mounting nut under the basin and lift the old faucet out through the deck hole.
Drop the new faucet in, feed its hoses through the 32–35 mm deck hole, and tighten the underside mounting nut/bracket.
Connect the hoses to the angle valves. Most basin-faucet hoses end in a G fitting with a built-in rubber washer, so no tape is needed on a hose-to-valve joint — the washer seals it. Snug, don't gorilla-tighten.
Open the water and check both hose ends and the deck for leaks.

Brand-name single-hole basin faucets are easy to source — Royal & Co lists deck basin models like the RLSD series on its official mall (Royal & Co, 2024), and Daelim Bath catalogs comparable Korean-standard PT 1/2" basin faucets (Daelim Bath, 2024).

How do I replace a kitchen sink faucet? (싱크대 수전 교체)

The kitchen faucet is a deck swap like the basin, but the connection lives in the lower cabinet (하부장) where the hot and cold lines meet a distributor (분배기).

Open the lower cabinet and find the distributor with the two faucet hoses connected (yb4living, 2023).
Shut off the distributor valves (or hallway meter valves) and open the faucet to relieve pressure.
Unscrew the hose nuts at the distributor with the wrench. The hoses hold standing water — keep a towel ready, because it dumps the moment you lift them (Ohouse, 2024).
Release the old faucet's deck mount and lift it out of the sink hole.
Set the new faucet in the hole, feed its hoses down, and bolt the deck bracket from below.
Connect hot to hot, cold to cold at the distributor and tighten the nuts. PT-threaded distributor joints get PTFE tape; hose-end G fittings with washers don't (yb4living, 2023).
Set the weight (무게추) if it's a pull-down sprayer faucet. Clip the counterweight on the hose so the head pulls out the length you want and retracts cleanly. Too little reach? Slide the weight down. Sticks on the way back? Slide it up (Ohouse, 2024).
Pressure-test under the cabinet for 2–3 minutes with a dry towel laid down so any drip shows immediately.

Total time once you've done one: about 15 minutes (Ohouse, 2024). For matching the faucet to your kitchen style, our best Korean kitchen faucet brands roundup compares pull-down vs. fixed-spout options on the Korean market.

What does a new Korean faucet cost, and which brands fit the PT standard?

Prices swing with finish, brand, and pull-out features, and they change often — so confirm the live price on each brand's store rather than trusting an old number. What matters for fit is that all of these are Korean-market faucets with PT 1/2" inlets, so they bolt onto standard apartment plumbing.

Brand	Korean name	Official source	Notes
Daelim Bath	대림바스	daelimbath.com	Long-running Korean bath major; full PT-standard faucet line
Royal & Co	로얄앤컴퍼니	iroyalbath.com · mall	Half-century Korean fixture maker; deck + wall faucets
Kohler Korea	콜러	kohler.co.kr	Premium/designer; Korea-distributed for PT fit
Hansgrohe (Korea)	한스그로헤	via Korean distributors (oohjoo.com)	Import single-hole basin (e.g., Talis S); confirm thread + adapter
Hanla Metal	한라금속	listed on Danawa	Value Korean basin faucets (e.g., Spero single-hole)

A specialist retailer like Youbath (대림바스 전문몰) is a good place to match an exact model and even book installation if you'd rather not DIY (Youbath, 2024). For a brand-by-brand comparison of Korean bath fixtures, see our Royal & Co vs Daelim Bath vs Hanssem bath fixtures breakdown.

Imported faucet caveat: A US-bought (NPT) or some EU (G-only) faucets may not seat cleanly on Korean PT pipe. Buy the matching adapter and a thread gauge, or choose a Korea-market model to skip the problem entirely (Sannke, 2023).

How do I stop a leak after replacing a faucet?

Leaks after a swap are almost always one of three things, and all three are quick fixes.

Leak location	Likely cause	Fix
At a PT threaded joint (eccentric/inlet)	Too little PTFE tape, or wrong wrap direction	Disassemble, rewrap 12–20 turns clockwise, reassemble (Ohouse, 2024)
At a hose end (G fitting)	Missing/pinched washer, or under-tight	Reseat the rubber washer, snug the nut
At the deck/mounting base	Loose mounting nut, no deck gasket	Tighten the underside nut; confirm the base gasket sits flat

Two habits prevent most callbacks: wrap PTFE in the same direction the fitting threads in (so tightening pulls the tape taut, not loose), and never over-torque — crushing a washer causes the very leak you're trying to stop (Neweveryinfo, 2023). After any fix, run the water and watch the joint for a full 2–3 minutes before you call it done.

If your faucet was fine but the spout still drips when off, the problem is the internal cartridge (카트리지), not the connections — that's a separate, equally DIY-able repair.

Frequently asked questions

Do all Korean apartment faucets use the same PT 1/2" thread? The vast majority do. Home water lines in Korean apartments are 15 mm (1/2"), and domestic faucets from Daelim Bath, Royal & Co, and similar makers terminate in PT 1/2" (15A) inlets (Ppomppu DIY forum, 2023). The exceptions are imported fixtures (which may be NPT or G-only) and concealed wall-valve systems. Confirm the spec on the product page before buying.

What's the eccentric connector (편심) for, and do I always need one? You need eccentrics for wall-mounted faucets, where two pipes stick out of the wall at roughly 150 mm centers. The eccentric's off-center body lets you twist each fitting to absorb 10–20 mm of spacing error and get the faucet level (Ppomppu DIY forum, 2023). Deck-mounted basin and kitchen faucets use flexible hoses instead and need no eccentrics.

How much PTFE (테프론) tape should I wrap? Korean DIY guides land on about 12 wraps as a baseline, up to ~20 if a joint weeps, applied clockwise on the male PT threads (Ohouse, 2024). General hardware advice runs a bit lighter at 5–7 wraps (Neweveryinfo, 2023). Start moderate and add more only if you see water. Don't tape hose ends that already have a rubber washer — the washer seals those.

Can I install a faucet I bought in the US or Europe? Sometimes, with an adapter. US faucets use NPT (60°) threads that don't seat cleanly on Korean PT (55°) pipe, and some EU faucets use parallel G threads (Sannke, 2023). Buy a PT-to-NPT or PT-to-G adapter and verify with a thread gauge — or just buy a Korea-market faucet and skip the hassle.

Am I allowed to swap a faucet in a rental (전세/월세)? A faucet swap is reversible, so it's usually low-risk, but check your lease and keep the original faucet to reinstall at move-out. The bigger concern is a leak that reaches the unit below (누수) — pressure-test every joint, and if a shutoff valve won't close or a pipe thread looks corroded, call a plumber rather than forcing it. See Korean apartment rental interior guidelines for what's safe to change.

Related guides

Sources

Ohouse (오늘의집), "싱크대 수전 셀프교체, 15분이면 끝나는 간단 교체기" (2024) — https://ohou.se/advices/3395
LX Z:IN, "용도별로 알아보는 수전 선택 및 교체 가이드" (2024) — https://www.lxzin.com/styling/style-guide/detail/7615
rdsong, "욕실 화장실 수전 교체 설치 셀프 방법" (2023) — https://rdsong.com/entry/%EC%9A%95%EC%8B%A4-%ED%99%94%EC%9E%A5%EC%8B%A4-%EC%88%98%EC%A0%84-%EA%B5%90%EC%B2%B4-%EC%84%A4%EC%B9%98-%EC%85%80%ED%94%84-%EB%B0%A9%EB%B2%95
yb4living, "주방 싱크대 수전 교체 설치 호스 연결 방법" (2023) — https://yb4living.com/146
Ppomppu DIY forum, "오래된 벽붙이 수전 교체 중 질문입니다" (2023) — https://m.ppomppu.co.kr/new/bbs_view.php?id=diy&no=14949
Danawa, "욕실·주방 수전 교체 필요한 공구는?" (2023) — https://plan.danawa.com/info/?nPlanSeq=8516
Neweveryinfo, "셀프 수전 교체 방법! 세면대·주방 수전 교체방법" (2023) — https://neweveryinfo.com/187
CN-AIM, "What Size Thread on Basin Taps" (2023) — https://www.cn-aim.com/news/knowledges/What-Size-Thread-on-Basin-Taps.html
Sannke, "What Is a G1 Thread? Metric vs. BSP Thread Types" (2023) — https://www.sannke.com/news/g1-thread/
Daelim Bath (대림바스) official — https://www.daelimbath.com/
Royal & Co (로얄앤컴퍼니) official mall — https://mall.iroyalbath.com/ · https://www.iroyalbath.com/
Kohler Korea, bathroom faucets — https://www.kohler.co.kr/browse/bathroom/Categories/bathroom-faucets
Youbath (대림바스 전문몰), 세면대 수전 — https://youbath.co.kr/category/%EC%84%B8%EB%A9%B4%EB%8C%80%EC%88%98%EC%A0%84/298/
Danawa, 한라금속 스페로 원홀 세면수전 — https://prod.danawa.com/info/?pcode=4640666

How to Replace a Faucet Yourself in a Korean Apartment (수전 교체 DIY)