Last updated: October 8, 2026 · Emergency numbers, interpretation and official safety-app guidance rechecked
🚓 Crime, assault, threats or immediate personal danger → 112 Police
🚑 Fire, rescue, serious injury or medical emergency → 119 Fire / Rescue / Ambulance
ℹ️ Travel information, interpretation or a non-emergency travel problem → 1330 Korea Travel Helpline
Immediate danger? Call 112 or 119 directly.
If you don't speak Korean, say "English, please" or "Interpreter, please." Then give the simplest useful location you have.
1. Call 112 or 119 — What to Say First
Keep the first sentence short.
"English, please.
Ambulance.
Someone collapsed.
I'm near Hongdae Station, Exit 9."
Police emergency
"English, please.
Police.
I need help.
I'm at ______."
The operator can ask for the remaining details. Stay on the line while interpretation, location or dispatch information is arranged.
Korea's police operate a 24-hour foreign-language interpretation center for 112 reports. Official visitor-safety guidance also tells international visitors to request English or an interpreter when calling 112 or 119.
VISITKOREA — Disaster Safety Services for International Visitors →
Korea.net — 24-hour interpretation for 112 →
2. If You Do Not Know the Address
Give the clearest location clue already available.
Subway station and exit number
Major shop, hospital, park or landmark
Current-location pin in your map app
Nearby staffed business
For example:
If possible, keep your phone's location service on and have the current map position visible while speaking with the operator.
If you're inside a large building or subway station, tell the operator which floor, entrance or exit you're near. A recognizable landmark can help when you don't know the street address.
3. If Speaking Is Difficult
The government-operated Baro Emergency Reporting App combines emergency reporting to agencies including police and fire services.
It supports multilingual reporting and can send text or images when speaking is difficult.
Baro is an additional reporting route when voice communication is difficult.
If you need another person to make the call, you can show:
Please call 112. I need the police.
119에 전화해 주세요. 구급차가 필요합니다.
Please call 119. I need an ambulance.
Ministry of the Interior and Safety — Baro Emergency Reporting App →
4. 119 Medical Guidance and 1330 Travel Help
119 Also Provides Emergency Medical Guidance
Korea's 119 emergency medical control centers provide services including first-aid guidance, medical consultation and information on available medical facilities.
If someone needs an ambulance or urgent medical response, call 119 directly.
For an ongoing emergency, follow the operator's instructions rather than delaying a call to search for hospitals yourself.
National Fire Agency — 119 Emergency Medical Services →
Use 1330 for Travel Information, Interpretation and Complaints
The 1330 Korea Travel Helpline is operated by the Korea Tourism Organization. It provides travel information, tourist interpretation and help with tourism-related complaints.
From overseas: +82-2-1330
Language-service hours vary. The service also offers online chat options for travel-related questions.
For immediate police, fire, rescue or medical response, use 112 or 119 directly. Don't delay an emergency call while trying to reach the travel helpline.
VISITKOREA — 1330 Korea Travel Helpline →
5. Save These Before Your Trip
119 — Korea Fire / Rescue / Ambulance
1330 — Korea Travel Help
Your accommodation
Hotel name + Korean address
Travel insurance
Emergency or assistance contact
Emergency Ready
In information published on June 15, 2026, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety confirmed that the Emergency Ready app provides disaster alerts in 22 languages, along with safety guidance and disaster-shelter information.
Install the app before traveling and enable the permissions needed for relevant alerts.
Baro Emergency Reporting
Install it before the trip if you want a multilingual text/image reporting option available on your phone.
Open the app at least once before you travel so you can become familiar with its reporting options. If you face an immediate emergency and can make a voice call, use 112 or 119 directly.
Ministry of the Interior and Safety — Emergency Ready →
The two videos below are optional Korea culture breaks for readers planning ahead.
Two Korea Desserts
RIIZE — "Boom Boom Bass"
RIIZE's upbeat "Boom Boom Bass" music video, released on the official SMTOWN channel.
Open on YouTube →Namsangol Hanok Village — VisitSeoul TV
VisitSeoul TV explores traditional hanok houses at Namsangol Hanok Village in central Seoul.
Open on YouTube →Factual checks: Korean National Police Agency, National Fire Agency, Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and Korea Tourism Organization. Emergency services and app functions can change; check official guidance before traveling.