Emergency and help numbers in Korea for foreigners: 112, 119, 1330 and 1345
Numbers checked against the official source on 2026-10-19
Call 112 for police and 119 for fire and ambulance. If you do not speak Korean, say "English please" or "Interpreter please" when the call connects and the operator will bring in a professional interpreter. For visa and residence questions, or to report abuse of foreign workers, call 1345; for travel information, interpretation or a tourism complaint, call 1330.
Quick-dial table
| Number | Who answers | Call it for | Language help |
|---|---|---|---|
| 112 | Police | A threat to life or property | Say "English please" or "Interpreter please" for a professional interpreter |
| 119 | Fire department and ambulance | Fire, medical emergency | Same interpreter phrase |
| 1345 | Immigration Contact Center (Ministry of Justice) | Visa and residency questions, life in Korea, referrals to other agencies; press 1 to report human-rights violations such as unpaid wages, assault, sexual harassment, passport confiscation or forced labour | 20 languages, 108 multilingual counsellors; third-party interpretation. Mon–Fri 09:00–22:00, excluding public holidays; the call is charged |
| 1330 | Korea Travel Helpline (Korea Tourism Organization) | Tourist information, tourist interpretation, tourist complaints | Phone and real-time chat; chat via the web (no download), KakaoTalk, Facebook, Line, WhatsApp |
From abroad or from a foreign phone
| Service | Number to dial |
|---|---|
| 1330 Korea Travel Helpline | +82-2-1330 |
| 1345 Immigration Contact Center | +82-2-1345 or +82-2-6908-1345~6 |
The 1330 page says calls over Wi-Fi from its online voice-call button carry no charge, while data charges may apply.
What to say
- Dial 112 or 119 and wait for the connection. Then say "English please" or "Interpreter please".
- Say where you are. The Korea Tourism Organization suggests looking at nearby buildings, or using your phone's GPS, to work out your location before or while you call, so help arrives quickly.
- Say what is wrong in one sentence: for example, "I need an ambulance" (119) or "I need the police, someone took my bag" (112). 112 and 119 are for a threat to life or property.
- Stay on the line and answer the interpreter's questions.
The sample sentences are ours; the official pages give only the two interpreter phrases and the location advice.
Apps the government recommends
- Baro Emergency Reporting App (Ministry of the Interior and Safety): supports English, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and Filipino, among others, with an image-and-text interface that the page says makes it easy to use.
- Emergency Ready app: action guidelines for natural disasters, social accidents and other safety incidents in 14 languages, and a link to 119. It currently works in offline mode only and shows no hospital or fire-station locations.
- Facebook "Migrant Rights" page (Ministry of Justice): foreign workers who cannot place a phone call can send a message, photos or video to report a rights violation.
1345 or 1330: which one?
| Your problem | Call |
|---|---|
| Someone is hurt, a fire, a crime in progress | 119 or 112 |
| Boss withholds wages, holds your passport, or threatens you (foreign worker) | 1345, press 1, or message the Migrant Rights Facebook page |
| Visa extension, residence card or registration question | 1345 |
| An inconvenience during your stay as a tourist, a suggestion, or a travel-information question | 1330 (complaints also at www.touristcomplaint.or.kr) |
Notes on the sources
The Korea Tourism Organization pages carry the dates 10/02/2025 (the 112/119 and apps page) and 03/30/2023 (the 1330 page). The 1345 description and the "press 1" line come from a Ministry of Justice press release dated 2026.07.13 (it says the line began on May 27, 2026); the call-centre hours come from the footer of HiKorea. The immigration site's own footer lists the numbers without hours. Hours and language counts for 112, 119 and 1330 are not stated here; check each service's official page.
Read on 2026-10-19. This page does not replace professional emergency or legal advice; in a life-threatening situation, call first and read later.
Official sources
- VISITKOREA — Disaster Safety Services for International Visitors in Korea — 112 and 119, the interpreter phrases, location advice, the two safety apps; page dated 10/02/2025 (checked 2026-10-19)
- VISITKOREA — 1330 Travel Helpline & Complaint Center — 1330 services, numbers, chat channels, complaint site; page dated 03/30/2023 (checked 2026-10-19)
- Korea Immigration Service — Ministry of Justice launches 1345 Call Center, Press 1 — 1345 in 20 languages, press-1 hotline for human-rights violations, Facebook reporting; press release dated 2026.07.13 (checked 2026-10-19)
- Korea Immigration Service (English) — home page footer — 1345 and international numbers; no revision date printed (read on 2026-10-19) (checked 2026-10-19)
- HiKorea — page footer — 1345 opening hours (Mon–Fri 09:00–22:00, excluding public holidays); no revision date printed (read on 2026-10-19) (checked 2026-10-19)
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