Emergency numbers in Korea: who to call, in English, for what

Most trips to Korea pass without needing any of these numbers. Korea is a safe place to travel, and the most common “emergency” for visitors is a phone left on the subway. But when something does go wrong, you don’t want to be searching in English at 2am on a dying battery. Save the numbers below now, and note which ones need a Korean phone number or data to work. If you’re still sorting out a SIM, see our eSIM and phone number guide.

The short version

Dial 112 for police and 119 for fire, rescue and ambulance. Both are free and both can bring an interpreter onto the call. For anything that isn’t an emergency, from a taxi dispute to a question about opening hours, call 1330, the Korea Travel Hotline, which runs in English around the clock. Immigration questions go to 1345. If you lose your passport, get a police report and then call your embassy.

The numbers to save

From abroad or from a foreign SIM where short codes don’t connect, 1330 is +82-2-1330 and the Dasan foreign-language line is +82-2-731-2120.

What happens when you call 112 or 119

112 (police). Say “English, please” and stay on the line. According to the Korea JoongAng Daily, the National Police Agency expanded its English and Chinese interpretation for 112 to 24 hours in March 2024, with trained interpreters joining by three-way call. Use 112 for theft, assault, harassment, a traffic accident or any situation where you feel unsafe.

119 (fire, rescue, ambulance). The 119 public ambulance is free of charge. Besides dispatching an ambulance, 119 can give first-aid guidance and information on hospitals, and it provides interpretation for foreign callers. If you can’t speak on the phone, Korean fire services also accept reports by text message, video call and the 119 reporting app (119신고), which sends your GPS location.

When you call either number, the most useful thing you can give is your location. A nearby building name, subway exit number or the address from your hotel booking is enough.

For medical questions that aren’t emergencies, see our guide to hospitals and pharmacies in Korea.

1330 and other help lines

1330 Korea Travel Hotline is run by the Korea Tourism Organization and is free to use as a service. English, Japanese and Chinese are available 24 hours, and Russian, Vietnamese, Thai, Malay and Indonesian during the day (listed as 8am to 7pm). It handles tourist information, interpretation and complaints about things like overcharging. In practice, the most useful feature is the three-way call: put a taxi driver, pharmacist or shop clerk on the line and let the interpreter handle it. The VisitKorea website and app offer free internet calling and text chat with 1330, and KTO has run chat through messenger apps including KakaoTalk, LINE and Facebook Messenger.

1345 Immigration Contact Center answers visa and stay questions. The Ministry of Justice lists it as open 9am to 10pm, in 20 languages until 6pm and in Korean, English and Chinese after that. Tourists mostly need it for overstay worries, extensions or K-ETA questions; see our K-ETA guide for the entry side.

120 Dasan Call Center is Seoul’s city help line. Dial 120, press 9, then pick a language. Foreign-language service runs weekdays 9am to 6pm, excluding holidays.

Lost items, lost passports

Lost on the subway. Go to the station staff office or customer service center at the nearest station straight away and give the time, line, direction and car number if you remember it. Seoul Metro’s lost-and-found centers keep weekday office hours, and in 2026 Seoul Metro was adding a paid courier delivery option for items it’s holding. More than 160,000 items were reported lost on the Seoul subway in a single year, so you’re far from the first.

Lost anywhere else. Report it at the nearest police box or station, or through LOST112, the national police lost-property portal, where you can search found items by date, area and item type. Bring ID to collect. Items left with the police are held for about six months before ownership passes on, and many end up at quarterly auctions. For taxis, see our taxi guide, and keep your receipt or app booking, which help identify the cab.

Lost passport. This one needs a sequence:

1. Retrace your steps, then go to the nearest police station and report the loss.
2. Keep the police loss report confirmation. Your embassy and immigration will ask for it.
3. Contact your embassy or consulate for an emergency passport or travel document. Bring passport photos and the police report.
4. Expect your departure to depend on that document, so start the same day if your flight is soon.

Keep a photo of your passport’s photo page and your entry details somewhere you can reach without the passport.

Disaster alerts and safety apps

Korean phones receive government disaster texts (재난문자) for earthquakes, typhoons, heavy rain, heat and other events. Since 2024, the government has added English to the most serious alert categories, the emergency and urgent texts that sound an alarm, covering the disaster type and, for earthquakes, the magnitude. Lower-level safety texts are usually Korean only, so a translation app helps.

For full alerts in English, install the Emergency Ready App, run by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. A Ministry of Justice notice from 2025 says it offers alerts in English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai and Japanese, plus safety guidance and a map of nearby shelters, emergency medical centers, police and fire stations, and embassies. It has a one-tap 119 button.

Things that catch visitors out

Expecting tourist police on the corner. Seoul’s dedicated tourist police were disbanded in 2023, according to the Korea Times. In 2026, police formed foreign affairs teams inside mobile patrol units, including in Jongno, Yongsan and Jung-gu in Seoul, plus Busan and Jeju. For non-urgent issues, 1330 is your first call.

Calling 1330 for a real emergency. 1330 is for information and interpretation. If someone is hurt or in danger, call 112 or 119 first.

Relying on short codes from a data-only eSIM. Numbers like 1330 and 120 need a phone line. Without one, use the VisitKorea app’s internet call or chat, or the full +82 numbers over Wi-Fi calling.

Not knowing where you are. Note the subway station and exit of your hotel. It’s the fastest way to tell anyone where to send help.

Treating 120 as 24-hour English help. The foreign-language line keeps weekday office hours.

What we’d do

Everyone: save 112, 119, 1330 and your embassy’s 24-hour number in your contacts before you fly, and add them to your trip checklist.

Travelers with a data-only eSIM: install the VisitKorea app so you can reach 1330 by internet call or chat, and make sure you know how to dial 112 and 119 from your phone.

Solo travelers and families: install the Emergency Ready App and turn on its English alerts. It’s the clearest way to understand a disaster text.

Anyone carrying a passport around all day: leave it in the hotel safe when you don’t need it, and keep a photo of the photo page on your phone.

Questions people ask

Do 112 and 119 operators speak English?

Not necessarily, but both can add an interpreter. Police say English and Chinese interpretation for 112 has run 24 hours since March 2024; stay on the line while they connect it.

Is an ambulance free in Korea?

The 119 public ambulance is free. You pay the hospital for treatment.

Can I text 119 instead of calling?

Yes. Korea's fire services accept reports by text, video call and the 119 reporting app, aimed partly at people who can't easily make a voice call, including foreigners.

Are there still tourist police in Seoul?

Not as a dedicated force. The tourist police were disbanded in 2023, and in 2026 police set up foreign affairs teams within mobile patrol units in areas such as Jongno, Yongsan and Jung-gu instead.

What do I do if I lose my passport in Korea?

Report the loss at a police station and get the loss report confirmation, then contact your embassy or consulate for an emergency passport or travel document. Allow time before your flight.

How do I find something I left on the subway?

Tell staff at the nearest station right away with the time, line and car if you know it, then search LOST112 or the police lost-property listings. Bring ID to collect.

How we checked this

Change log

• October 9, 2026 First published.

Sources

1. Korea JoongAng Daily: police expand English, Chinese interpretation for 112 hotline (2024-03-18)
2. Seongbuk-gu Office: medical service and emergency numbers for foreigners (checked 2026-10-09)
3. News Seoul: Paju fire station promotes 119 multimedia reporting (2022-09-30)
4. Yeongdeungpo-gu Office: free interpretation services (1330 and Medical Call Center) (checked 2026-10-09)
5. Busan Metropolitan City: 1330 Korea Travel Hotline (2019-01-18)
6. Stars and Stripes Korea: KTO starts new text chat service for tourism assistance (checked 2026-10-09)
7. Ministry of Justice: Immigration Contact Center 1345 (2025-11-03)
8. Guro-gu Office: 120 Dasan Call Center foreign language consultations (checked 2026-10-09)
9. Korea Times: as foreign visitors, residents surge, police form units to overcome language barriers (2026-01-26)
10. Seoul Media Hub: how lost property works in Seoul (2025-04-03)
11. Herald Business: Seoul Metro lost-and-found door-to-door delivery (2026-06-11)
12. Naeil: lost passport or ARC in Korea (2026-02-26)
13. Ministry of Justice: Emergency Ready App installation notice (2025-08-01)
14. News Seoul: English added to emergency and urgent disaster texts (2024-02-28)
15. Kormedi: where to go if you get sick over the holidays (2025-01-24)

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