Second Bag and Power Bank: Korean Air, Asiana and Jeju Rules, Plus Korea’s 20 April 2026 Cap

The night-before scale, and a tote that suddenly becomes a second bag

A suitcase is almost full, so a tote or a duffel comes out of the closet. That second bag feels harmless until the airport: if you check it, many international tickets count it as its own piece; if you carry it on, Korean Air’s cabin cap is a combined weight, not two separate budgets. A 7kg cabin case plus a 4kg tote is already over a 10kg combined limit.

Power banks hide in side pockets and cause a different kind of surprise. They cannot go in checked bags. And the Korean rule that used to be described as “up to five banks at 100Wh” is not the rule in force from 20 April 2026. This page uses the official briefing and the airline pages, and

Korean Air cabin bags, and why the e-ticket matters for checked pieces

Korean Air’s official Newsroom describes cabin baggage, for many economy tickets, as one carry-on plus one personal item, with a combined weight of 10kg. Size is often given as 115cm in total, or 55×40×20 including wheels and handles; the same Newsroom text also states 20×55×40. A personal item is often 40×30×15. Even a bag that fits the frame can still be taken at the gate if there is no space, so keep batteries, medicines and breakables on you.

Checked allowances change with the route, the fare name and the cabin. On many international economy tickets the free allowance is one piece, and some Americas fares allow two — except where a fare name says otherwise. Domestic Korean Air flights are generally sold on a weight basis rather than a piece basis. This page will not reprint a full matrix from memory. Open the official free-baggage page and the e-ticket before you pack, and keep the ten-digit bag tag until you collect the suitcase. You cannot check a bag in a friend’s name just because they have space left, and you cannot add two people’s leftover kilos together. A codeshare or a connecting carrier may apply a different rule.

Asiana and Jeju: official numbers, with a reminder to recheck

Asiana’s official free-baggage page, checked for this article, says power banks and e-cigarettes cannot be checked. Size is 158cm including handles and wheels. For the Americas, economy is two bags of 23kg and business is two of 32kg. Saipan and other US territories are treated under the non-Americas table, where economy is one 23kg bag and business is two of 32kg. An infant’s extra allowance is one 23kg bag plus a stroller on Americas itineraries, and one 10kg bag plus a stroller elsewhere. Domestic Asiana service is weight-based: 20kg in economy and 30kg in business. A later carrier on the ticket may differ.

Jeju Air’s official checked-baggage page is built around the fare name. Domestically, BIZ LITE includes 30kg, Standard includes 15kg, and Basic includes no free bag. Infants have no free domestic checked bag except one of a foldable stroller, a bassinet or a car seat. On international routes other than Guam and Saipan, BIZ LITE includes 30kg, Standard 15kg, and Basic none; on Guam and Saipan, BIZ LITE is two bags of 23kg, Standard is one of 23kg, and Basic is none. The maximum size is 158cm and the maximum weight per piece is 32kg. You cannot check someone else’s bag as yours. A “priority bag” fee is printed on that official page as ₩3,000 or USD 3 domestically and ₩5,000 or USD 5 internationally, per piece — recheck it before you fly. If you booked a Basic fare and also packed a tote, pre-paying a bag in the booking flow is usually calmer than discovering the charge at the counter. Other fee tables are.

Spare power banks: the 20 April 2026 Korean rule, not the older “five at 100Wh” line

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport briefed the new standard on 8 April 2026 (Korea.kr, newsId=148962298). It has been in force since 20 April 2026. Spare power banks travel in the cabin only, at most two per person, and each must be 160Wh or less. Banks between 100 and 160Wh still need the airline’s approval. Anything over 160Wh is forbidden. You may not charge a power bank itself in the cabin, and you may not use it there to charge a phone. Short-circuit protection is required.

If the label shows milliamp-hours and voltage but not watt-hours, a widely used conversion is Wh = mAh × V ÷ 1000. When it is unclear, ask at the counter rather than guessing. Keep spare banks on you or in a seat pocket, not in the overhead bin. If a bank looks swollen or stuck, tell the crew. The same “cabin only” rule applies to e-cigarettes on the airline pages cited above.

If you start in another country and connect onto Korean Air, Asiana or Jeju, pack for the strictest stretch of the journey: your departure security screen and the Korean in-force rule. Recheck the operating carrier’s dangerous-goods page the week you fly. This is general information; airline and government pages can change.

Sources

1. Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport briefing on Korea.kr, policyNewsView newsId=148962298 (8 April 2026), on spare power banks and e-cigarettes, in force from 20 April 2026: cabin only, at most two spare power banks per person, each 160Wh or less; 100–160Wh still needs airline approval; over 160Wh forbidden; no charging a power bank in the cabin and no using it there to charge a phone; short-circuit protection required.
2. Korean Air official Newsroom guidance on cabin baggage: often one carry-on plus one personal item, combined 10kg, 115cm or 55×40×20 (the Newsroom also states 20×55×40); personal item often 40×30×15. Recheck the live page and your e-ticket. Checked allowances vary by route, fare name and cabin — use the official free-baggage page and the e-ticket, not a remembered table.
3. Asiana official free-baggage page (flyasiana.com, checked this writing): power banks and e-cigarettes cannot be checked; size 158cm including handles and wheels; Americas economy 2×23kg, business 2×32kg; Saipan and US territories follow the non-Americas table; non-Americas economy 1×23kg, business 2×32kg; infant Americas 1×23kg plus a stroller, non-Americas 1×10kg plus a stroller; domestic service is weight-based (economy 20kg, business 30kg); a connecting airline may apply different rules.
4. Jeju Air official checked-baggage page (trustBaggage.do, checked this writing): 158cm; domestic BIZ LITE 30kg, Standard 15kg, Basic no free bag; infants have no free domestic bag except one of a foldable stroller, bassinet or car seat; international except Guam/Saipan: BIZ LITE 30kg, Standard 15kg, Basic none; Guam/Saipan: BIZ LITE 2×23kg, Standard 1×23kg, Basic none; you cannot check someone else’s bag as yours; 32kg maximum per piece; priority-bag fee as printed on the official page (domestic ₩3,000 or USD 3, international ₩5,000 or USD 5 per piece) — recheck before you fly.

Last checked: 14 November 2026