In Korea, call 112 for police and 119 for fire, rescue, or an urgent medical emergency. Give your location first. If you cannot continue in Korean, say “English please” or “Interpreter please.” Do not use a tourist-information line as a substitute for emergency dispatch.
| Problem | First route | What to say first |
|---|---|---|
| Crime, violence, immediate threat, or police response | 112 | Location and whether the threat is happening now |
| Fire, rescue, serious injury, or urgent medical help | 119 | Location and what happened |
| Lost item with no immediate danger | Venue or operator, then LOST112 | Time, route, place, and item description |
| Non-urgent tourism or interpretation problem | A currently operating official tourist-help channel | Location and the practical problem |
| Disaster alert or evacuation information | Emergency Ready or SAFE KOREA plus local instructions | Match the alert area and time to your location |
Korea’s official international visitor safety guidance identifies 112 and 119 and tells non-Korean speakers to request English or an interpreter after connection. The location is still the most important first fact: show a Korean address, building, station exit, gate, floor, or visible landmark.
Choose the service by what must happen next
Use 112 when police must stop a threat, respond to violence, or handle a crime. Use 119 when the required action is fire response, rescue, or urgent medical help. If both safety and injury are involved, describe both facts and follow the dispatcher’s instruction rather than trying to coordinate agencies yourself.
Do not call 112 or 119 merely to test whether English support works. Save the numbers, learn the words, and use them when help is actually needed. Do not rely on 911 or another country’s emergency number being redirected; use the official Korean number.
Give a location the responder can use
- Open the Korean address in your map or booking.
- State the building or place name.
- Add the floor, gate, room, station exit, or entrance.
- Describe what happened in one sentence.
- Say how many people need help.
- Keep the phone available and send someone to meet responders when safe.
A blue map dot is not enough inside a subway interchange, underground mall, stadium, hotel tower, or airport. Copy the Korean road address before the trip and know how to find the place name in a local map. Use the Naver Map visitor guide to practice this before you need it.
Keep these Korean lines offline
| English | Korean |
|---|---|
| Please call 112. | 112에 전화해 주세요. |
| Please call 119. | 119에 전화해 주세요. |
| English interpreter, please. | 영어 통역 부탁드립니다. |
| The address is here. | 주소는 여기입니다. |
| I am in danger. | 위험한 상황입니다. |
| I need an ambulance. | 구급차가 필요합니다. |
These lines help make the first connection; they do not replace the dispatcher’s questions. Describe what you directly see and follow instructions. For the complete medical-call sequence, use How to Call an Ambulance in Korea as a Tourist.
A lost item follows a different route
If there is no immediate threat, start with the organization most likely to hold the item: venue, hotel, station, transport operator, taxi platform, airport, or shop. Record the time, direction, gate, seat, vehicle, payment, and item details. Then search or report through the Korean National Police Agency’s LOST112 service.
LOST112 does not guarantee recovery or replace a crime report. A lost passport also requires the issuing embassy’s instructions. Follow the sequence in the lost passport action plan, and do not expose full document numbers in a public report.
Use official live searches for medical facilities
For a life-threatening or unsafe-to-transport condition, call 119. For a stable situation where you need to locate care, use the E-Gen hospital and pharmacy search and call the facility before leaving. E-Gen warns that listed hours can change.
An international center is not automatically an emergency department, and an old “English-speaking hospital” list cannot prove who is on duty. Use the emergency-room guide for foreign visitors or the after-hours pharmacy guide for the appropriate next step.
Do not make one app the whole safety plan
- Save your hotel name, Korean address, and phone number on paper.
- Keep 112 and 119 visible to travel companions.
- Store allergies, medication, insurer contact, and an emergency contact offline.
- Keep one payment method and a copy of essential travel details separate from the main wallet.
- Know how to show the current Korean address in your map app.
- Share a meeting point for crowded venues and transport hubs.
The Emergency Ready app and SAFE KOREA guidance can help with alerts and disaster preparation. App access, translations, and service status can change, so keep the core call numbers and address outside the app.
Treat 1330 as optional non-emergency support
Official tourism pages have carried changing availability information for the 1330 travel helpline. Do not make it the first or only route for an urgent situation. Check the current VISITKOREA notice before relying on phone or chat service, and use 112 or 119 when emergency dispatch is needed.
Questions tourists ask about Korean emergency help
Does 112 send an ambulance?
Use 119 for fire, rescue, and urgent medical response. Use 112 for police. If a situation involves both crime and injury, state both facts and follow the dispatcher’s instructions.
Can tourists request an English interpreter?
Official visitor guidance says to request English or an interpreter after connection. Give the location clearly and ask a nearby Korean speaker for help when one is available.
Should I save a list of hospitals before the trip?
Save the official search route and your insurer’s instructions instead of relying on a static ranking. In a medical emergency, use 119. For stable self-transport, verify the current facility, department, hours, and language support.
Last checked: August 9, 2026. Official references: VISITKOREA disaster safety services, VISITKOREA emergency situations, LOST112, E-Gen, and SAFE KOREA. Recheck volatile service information before travel.