Emergency Numbers — What to Know
South Korea uses 119 for fire and ambulance and 112 for police. The 119 line has a dedicated foreign-language interpretation service — press 9 after connecting for English. Ambulance response times in Seoul average 5–8 minutes. The 1339 health hotline provides 24/7 medical information in English, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean, and can help locate English-speaking hospitals. For tourist-specific assistance, the Korea Travel Hotline (1330) operates 24/7 with English, Chinese, Japanese, and Malay/Indonesian operators.
Non-Emergency Resources
Seoul's public health centres (보건소, bogeonso) provide basic medical services at low cost. Pharmacies (약국, yakguk) are ubiquitous and pharmacists can dispense certain medications without a prescription. For mental health crises, 1577-0199 is the 24/7 crisis line. The Immigration Contact Centre (1345) helps with visa and immigration questions. Most embassies are in the Yongsan and Jongno districts.
Emergency Phrases
| English | Local |
|---|---|
| Help! | 도와주세요! (Dowajuseyo!)doh-wah-joo-SEH-yoh |
| Call an ambulance | 구급차 불러주세요 (Gugeupcha bulleojuseyo)goo-gup-CHAH bool-loh-joo-SEH-yoh |
| I need a doctor | 의사가 필요해요 (Uisaga pilyohaeyo)ee-sah-gah peel-yoh-HEH-yoh |
| Where is the hospital? | 병원이 어디예요? (Byeongwoni eodiyeyo?)byohng-WOHN-ee oh-dee-YEH-yoh |
| Fire! | 불이야! (Buriya!)boo-REE-yah |
| Police! | 경찰! (Gyeongchal!)GYOHNG-chahl |
Practical Tips for Tourists
Seoul's major hospitals include Seoul National University Hospital (Jongno-gu), Asan Medical Centre (the largest hospital in Korea), and Severance Hospital (Yonsei). All three have international clinics with English-speaking staff. Samsung Medical Centre in Gangnam is another top-tier option. Korean hospitals are modern and efficient; emergency departments use a triage system with typical waits of 1–3 hours for non-critical cases.
Korean SIMs and eSIMs from SKT, KT, or LG U+ are available at Incheon Airport. Portable Wi-Fi rental (egg) is popular and provides reliable coverage throughout Seoul. Emergency calls (119, 112) work from any phone. Seoul has free Wi-Fi in all metro stations and most public spaces.
Seoul is very safe — violent crime against tourists is rare. Common issues include taxi scams (always insist on the meter) and credit card skimming. Language can be a barrier at smaller clinics and rural-area police stations, so save the 1330 tourist hotline number.
🇰🇷 See all Korea emergency numbers
