Korea Emergency Numbers and Travel Help

Choose the correct number

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Situation	First contact	Do not substitute
Violence, threat, stalking, theft in progress, missing vulnerable person, or other police emergency	112 Police	A hotel desk, insurer, embassy, or 1330 cannot dispatch police
Fire, smoke, rescue, traffic injury, serious fall, breathing problem, unconscious person, or urgent medical emergency	119 Fire · Rescue · Medical	A private hospital number or travel helpline is not the dispatch route
Non-emergency travel information, interpretation, or tourism complaint	1330, after checking current availability	Do not call it instead of 112 or 119 when time matters
Visa, entry, stay status, immigration office, or immigration administration	1345 Immigration Contact Center	It is not a police or ambulance number
Lost item already missing with no immediate danger or crime in progress	LOST112 / 182	If theft is happening or safety is threatened, use 112
Infectious-disease information	1339 KDCA where current official guidance directs	A severe medical emergency still goes to 119

The shortest correct decision is more useful than a long directory: 112 police; 119 fire, rescue, and medical emergency. Save the other channels separately so a non-emergency question never delays dispatch.

Before departure — build an offline help card

Save one note that can be opened without mobile data. Include:

• 112 — Police emergency;
• 119 — Fire, rescue, medical emergency;
• your accommodation’s Korean name, full Korean road address, building, floor, front-desk number, and map pin;
• your full name, date of birth, nationality, and passport number in a secure private record—not a public screenshot;
• important conditions, allergies, medicines, and an insurer assistance number;
• one trusted contact and your embassy or consulate’s current official contact;
• the Korean names of places you plan to visit; and
• the live links for 1330, 1345, LOST112, Emergency Ready, and your insurer.

Do not put a full passport image, card number, insurance login, future itinerary, or home address on an unlocked public-facing card. A short medical and location note is useful; a complete identity file on the lock screen creates another risk.

Step 1 — make the scene safe enough to call

Move away from traffic, fire, smoke, violence, unstable structures, water, or another immediate hazard when doing so is safe. Do not enter a dangerous area to take photographs or recover luggage. If another person is present, ask one person to call while another meets responders or helps with operator-directed first aid.

For a crime or threat, preserve distance and do not confront the person for evidence. For a fire or medical emergency, follow the 119 operator rather than improvising from an online article.

Step 2 — give the location before the story

Responders need a destination. Start with the most precise location you have:

1. full Korean road address;
2. building, hotel, station, attraction, or shop name;
3. floor, room, platform, exit, gate, or entrance;
4. nearby major landmark; and
5. a map pin or coordinates when asked.

The National Fire Agency says that if the address is unknown, callers can use a nearby large building and phone number, elevator identification number, national point number, utility-pole number, or highway marker, and should keep smartphone GPS on. Do not guess an address. Read the Korean text from NAVER Map, a hotel card, receipt, station sign, or staffed desk.

Useful Korean:

위치부터 말씀드릴게요. — I will give you the location first. 주소는 [주소]입니다. — The address is [address]. [건물] [층/출구]에 있어요. — I am at [building], [floor/exit].

Step 3 — state the emergency in one sentence

Use plain facts:

I need police. A person is threatening us. We are at [location]. I need an ambulance. One adult is unconscious but breathing. We are at [location]. There is smoke on the [floor] floor. We are outside at [entrance].

Then answer questions. Give the number of people, approximate age, consciousness, breathing, bleeding, fire/smoke, weapons or continuing danger, and any major condition or medicine you actually know. Do not diagnose or exaggerate. If you do not know, say so.

Useful Korean:

경찰이 필요해요. — I need the police. 구급차가 필요해요. — I need an ambulance. 불이 났어요. — There is a fire. 의식이 없어요. — The person is unconscious. 숨을 쉬고 있어요 / 숨을 안 쉬어요. — The person is breathing / is not breathing. 영어 통역이 필요해요. — I need English interpretation.

Step 4 — keep the line open

Do not hang up just because the location was given. The operator may need to verify the entrance, update responders, assess breathing, or give immediate instructions. Put the phone on speaker only if it helps you follow directions safely.

The National Fire Agency tells callers to keep the line open, receive medical guidance, and perform instructed first aid while waiting. This article does not replace those instructions.

Step 5 — prepare for the responders

When safe:

• unlock or identify the correct entrance;
• send someone to a visible meeting point;
• secure pets and clear obstacles;
• gather the patient’s ID or passport, medication list, essential medicines, and insurance information;
• note what happened, when symptoms began, changes since the call, and first aid already given; and
• do not leave the patient alone unless required for safety.

The National Fire Agency recommends telling the crew how the condition changed, what first aid was provided, and known diseases, hospital information, and medicines.

If you cannot communicate in Korean

Say “영어 통역이 필요해요” and keep sentences short. Use the exact address on screen rather than translating it. A nearby hotel desk, station employee, shop worker, or bilingual bystander can help communicate a location, but hand the phone over only with consent and keep control of your unlocked device and personal information.

If the situation is not an emergency, the official 1330 page lists telephone and real-time chat for tourist information, interpretation, and complaints. However, KTO also published a January 20, 2026 notice saying the call/chat service was temporarily unavailable until further notice. Check the current official banner before treating 1330 as an available fallback. Never wait for 1330 when 112 or 119 is needed.

Emergency Ready app — preparation, not dispatch proof

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s current replacement Emergency Ready app listing was updated in July 2026. It says the app can locate shelters, emergency medical centers, fire stations, and police stations; provide CPR, burn, fire-extinguisher, and hydrant guides; and offer a direct 119-call action. The current Google Play listing identifies the ministry as a government developer and declares no collected or shared data, but store declarations and app behavior can change.

Use the current package kr.or.klid.newengsafekorea2025, not a legacy listing. Install it before travel, verify the developer, download any information you need, and test that your phone can place a normal call. Do not navigate an app while immediate danger requires 112 or 119.

Medical help without an immediate emergency

For a severe or rapidly worsening condition, call 119. For a stable, non-life-threatening problem, use a current official medical-information source, your insurer, accommodation staff, or a hospital’s verified international center. Confirm the facility, hours, language, payment, and whether an appointment is required before traveling there.

Do not assume every clinic has an English-speaking clinician, accepts every foreign insurance arrangement, or is open because an old blog lists it. If symptoms become severe during the search, switch to 119.

Police, theft, and lost property are different paths

Call 112 for immediate danger, a crime in progress, or an urgent police response. For an item that is already lost with no current danger, search the National Police Agency’s LOST112 system and contact 182 for police civil-service guidance. The current LOST112 site lets users search found property and submit an online loss report after account registration.

Freeze cards and payment accounts separately when a wallet or phone is missing. Do not publish serial numbers, identity documents, device unlock details, or full card information in public lost-property posts.

Immigration and embassy support

Use 1345 for immigration, stay status, office jurisdiction, and related administrative information—not for dispatch. The Korea Immigration Service currently lists weekday counseling from 09:00 to 22:00; after 18:00, only Korean, English, and Chinese are listed. Its official page also provides international contact routes. Re-check hours before calling.

An embassy or consulate can provide country-specific consular guidance, but it does not replace Korean police, fire, rescue, or ambulance dispatch. Obtain the current contact only from your government’s official site.

Common failure points

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Failure	Why it matters	Recovery
Calling 1330 for an active emergency	It is not the emergency-dispatch number and availability has had a maintenance warning	Call 112 or 119 immediately
Giving a long story before the location	Dispatch cannot reach an unknown place	Give Korean address, building, floor/exit, and landmark first
Relying on mobile data only	Signal, battery, roaming, or app access can fail	Keep an offline address and number card; use another phone or staffed place
Guessing the English place name	Similar names and branches can misdirect help	Read the Korean address or share the exact map pin
Hanging up too early	The operator may need updates or give first-aid instructions	Keep the line open until told otherwise
Treating an old app listing as current	The Emergency Ready package changed in 2026	Verify the current ministry developer and package before installation
Posting evidence publicly	Faces, plates, medical details, room numbers, and itinerary can expose people	Preserve evidence privately and give it directly to police, insurer, or relevant authority
Assuming embassy or insurer dispatches Korean responders	They support their own scope, not Korea’s emergency response	Use 112/119 first, then notify other contacts when safe

Traveler compatibility

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Check	Status
Korean phone number	Not required as an identity condition, but a working voice connection or another reachable phone is needed to call
Korean ID	Not required to request immediate emergency help; responders or hospitals may later need identity and medical information
Foreign-issued card	Not applicable to dispatch; downstream hospital, transport, pharmacy, or insurer payment is separate
English support	Varies by operator, service, time, and transfer; ask clearly for English interpretation
Field-tested by Korea Untangled	No — official-source checked only

FAQ

Is 119 only for fire?

No. Current official visitor guidance assigns 119 to fire, rescue, and medical emergencies, including ambulance response.

Should I call 1330 before 112 or 119 because I need English?

No. Call the correct emergency number first and ask for English interpretation. 1330 is non-emergency travel support and has also carried a 2026 maintenance notice.

Can I text or use an app instead of calling?

Do not assume a text or app route will work on your device or current service configuration. The checked Emergency Ready app offers a 119 call shortcut, but the safest default in an immediate emergency is a voice call to 112 or 119 from any available phone.

Does a 119 ambulance guarantee a particular hospital or no bill?

No. Dispatch, destination, hospital acceptance, treatment, and costs are separate matters. Follow responders and use your insurer or hospital for payment questions after immediate safety is handled.

What if my phone has no Korean SIM?

Try the emergency number on your available voice connection. If the call cannot be placed, use another phone or immediately ask a staffed accommodation, station, shop, or bystander to call while you provide the exact location. Do not delay to buy a SIM.

What should I show a hotel employee or bystander?

Show the correct number and exact Korean location, then one sentence describing the problem. Avoid handing over unrelated passport, payment, or account data.

Your next task

Keep untangling your Korea trip

Install and verify the current government safety app with the Essential Apps guide, save exact Korean locations with the NAVER Map guide, and return to Start Here to keep the emergency card with the rest of the trip setup.

Next guide Essential Korea Travel Apps Without a Korean Phone Number A minimal, official-source-checked app setup for maps, translation, emergency information, taxis, and official travel guidance—without assuming that you already have a Korean… Next guide How to Use NAVER Map in English Set NAVER Map to English, find the correct Korean place, compare public-transport routes, and keep a route screenshot that still helps if… Next checklist Start Here

Official sources

Source	Use
KTO Emergency Situations	112 police, 119 fire and medical emergency, 1339, 1330, LOST112 and 182 visitor summary
KTO 1330 Travel Helpline & Complaint Center	Current public description of travel information, interpretation, complaints, online call and chat
KTO January 20, 2026 maintenance notice	Current caution that the 1330 call/chat service was temporarily unavailable until further notice
KTO Helpful Apps & Resources, updated June 2026	Current Emergency Ready replacement listing and multilingual feature summary
Emergency Ready on Google Play	Current Android package, government developer, July 2026 update, features and declared data safety
National Fire Agency: how to report a 119 medical emergency	Location, patient details, callback and operator-guided first-aid sequence
National Fire Agency: prepare before the ambulance arrives	Meeting responders, essential items and information for the crew
Korean National Police Agency service charter	Dialing 112 without an area code for a crime report
Korea Immigration Service 1345	Current counseling scope, hours, languages and overseas contact information
National Police Agency LOST112	Found-property search, online loss-report boundary and 182 guidance

Change log

• 2026-09-10 — Added contextual photographs and instructional screenshots with source and privacy notes. This media update does not change the information-verification date or field-test status.
• 2026-09-01 — Removed the generic AI illustrations and shortened the verification note. Emergency numbers, official-source status, and the 2026-08-13 verification date did not change.
• 2026-08-13 — Initial official-source draft created. Verified 112 police and 119 fire, rescue and medical roles, 119 reporting guidance, current Emergency Ready replacement package, 1345 scope and hours, LOST112/182 boundary, and the 1330 non-emergency role plus unresolved maintenance notice. Added offline preparation, location-first call scripts, interpretation and no-phone fallbacks, privacy controls and three clearly disclosed AI-generated editorial illustrations. No live service or field response was independently tested.