Emergency Numbers and Help Lines in Korea
The Korean emergency numbers worth saving before you need them: 112, 119, the 24-hour 1330 tourist line with English, and who to call for what.
Nobody plans to need this page, which is exactly why you should skim it once and save two or three numbers in your phone today. Korea's emergency infrastructure is fast and well-run — the only real barrier is knowing which number does what.
The short version
- 119 — fire, ambulance, rescue. The one to call when someone's hurt.
- 112 — police: crime, theft, harassment, accidents.
- 1330 — Korea Travel Hotline: 24/7, real humans, English (and many other languages), and they'll translate between you and emergency services if needed.
All three are free, work around the clock, and can be dialed from any phone in Korea with no prefix.
How it actually works
119 (fire & medical). One number covers ambulances, fires and rescue. Operators dispatch first and sort details later; interpreter support is available if you say "English." Public ambulance transport is free — you pay only for hospital treatment afterward.
112 (police). For crimes in progress, theft, scams, lost passports involving theft, or any situation where you feel unsafe. Interpretation can be arranged on the line. For non-urgent lost property, your odds are better at the subway or facility's own lost-and-found first — Korea has a famously effective lost-item culture.
1330 (Korea Travel Hotline). The most underused number in Korea. It's officially a tourism helpline, but in practice it's an English-speaking fixer: directions when you're lost, help explaining symptoms to a pharmacist over speakerphone, mediating a taxi dispute, or three-way interpreting with 112/119. Available 24/7 by phone from anywhere in Korea.
Other numbers worth knowing
- 120 — city government call centers (Seoul's "Dasan" line), with foreign-language support for civic questions: trash rules, transit cards, city services.
- 1345 — the Immigration Contact Center, for visa and residence questions, with multilingual staff. Long-stayers will use this one; context in our residence card guide.
- 1339 — medical advice line run by the public health authority, useful for "is this ER-worthy?" questions.
- Your embassy — look up and save your embassy's emergency (after-hours) number now; it's the number for lost passports, arrests and serious incidents.
Common misconceptions
- "I should find a police box instead of calling." Police substations (지구대) are everywhere and helpful, but calling 112 gets units dispatched to you — faster in a real emergency.
- "Emergency alerts on my phone mean danger." Those loud Korean text blasts are usually weather advisories, missing-person notices or drills. Install the government's Emergency Ready App to get them translated to English — see our essential apps list.
- "Hospitals won't take me without Korean insurance." Emergency rooms treat first and bill after; travel insurance or cash both work. More in our doctor visit guide.
Good to know
Write your accommodation's Korean address in your phone's notes today. Every one of these calls goes smoother when you can read out (or show) exactly where you are — and Naver Map can display your current address in Korean at any moment.
Frequently asked questions
›Will the 119 or 112 operator speak English?
Not always immediately, but both services can connect an interpreter — say "English, please" and don't hang up. If you're struggling, call 1330 instead: its English-speaking agents can conference with emergency services and translate live.
›Do these numbers work from a foreign phone?
Yes — from any phone with a signal in Korea, including foreign SIMs and phones without a SIM at all for emergency calls. Dial the short number directly, no country code or area code.
›How much does an ambulance cost in Korea?
Public 119 ambulances transport you to an emergency room free of charge — the hospital treatment itself is what you pay for (or your insurance does). Never hesitate to call 119 over cost worries.