Last updated: August 29, 2026 · Emergency information checked against Korean government and official tourism sources
🚓 112 → Police — crime, assault, threats, theft, immediate danger.
🚑 119 → Fire, rescue and ambulance — fire, serious injury, collapse, breathing problems, rescue or a medical emergency.
If you do not speak Korean: say “English, please.” Then give the emergency and your location as simply as possible.
Do not call 1330 first in a life-threatening emergency. Call 112 or 119 first.
| Crime / immediate danger | 112 |
| Fire / rescue | 119 |
| Ambulance / medical emergency | 119 |
| Travel / interpretation help | 1330 |
Knowing Korea’s emergency numbers is easy. Using them when you are frightened, injured, lost, or unable to speak Korean is the part that actually matters.
A foreign visitor may know that 112 means police and 119 means fire or ambulance, but still freeze when the operator answers. What if the operator does not immediately speak English? What if you do not know your Korean address? What if you only know the name of a subway station or hotel?
This guide is built for that moment. It explains not only which number to call, but what to say next, how to describe your location, when 1330 is useful, what the Emergency Ready App does, and what not to waste time doing.
1. 112 or 119? Choose by the Problem
Use 112 for crime, assault, theft, stalking, threats, immediate personal danger, or another situation where you need police help now.
Use 119 for fire, serious injury, unconsciousness, severe breathing problems, a person who collapses, rescue situations, or another medical emergency requiring an ambulance.
You do not need an area code. In a real emergency, the fastest decision is usually the simplest one:
Fire, rescue or ambulance → 119
If a traffic accident involves injuries, 119 is the number for emergency medical help. Police may also be needed depending on the situation.
Official Korean National Police guidance on 112 →
Official National Fire Agency 119 reporting guide →
2. What If You Do Not Speak Korean?
Do not delay an emergency call because your Korean is poor. Call first.
When the operator answers, say:
Then use short words and short sentences. You do not need perfect grammar.
For example:
Korea’s police operate a foreign-language interpretation system for 112 calls, and the National Fire Agency has long operated multilingual support and three-way interpretation for foreigners using 119. The important practical point is that the first operator you reach may not personally speak fluent English. Ask for English and stay on the line while support is arranged.
The operator may be identifying your language need, arranging interpretation, confirming your location, or dispatching help.
Why watch: A quick visual reminder of Korea’s two essential emergency numbers: 112 for police and 119 for fire and ambulance.
3. What If You Cannot Speak Out Loud?
A voice call is not always possible. You may be hiding from someone, unable to speak, or struggling to communicate verbally.
For 112 police emergencies, Korea also accepts text reports. The Korean National Police advises silent callers to include three things in a 112 text: location, situation and identifying details. The official 112 Emergency Report app can also transmit your current location and attach photos or video.
112 text example: “Hongdae Station Exit 9. Someone is following me. Male, black jacket.”
112 app: useful when you cannot safely explain the situation by voice.
For 119 fire, rescue or medical emergencies, you can also report by text, video call or the 119 reporting app. A 119 text can include photos or video. For video reporting, dial 119 and use the phone’s video-call function. The National Fire Agency specifically notes that video reporting can be useful for foreigners and people who have difficulty communicating by voice.
The 119 reporting app can send GPS location information to the 119 situation room along with the report. This can be especially useful when you cannot explain a Korean address clearly.
4. Your Location May Matter More Than Your English
A common foreigner problem is not vocabulary. It is this:
Do not spend precious time trying to pronounce a long Korean address perfectly. Give the clearest location clue you have.
Start with your phone map
Turn GPS/location services on and tap the current-location marker first. Open Naver Map, KakaoMap, Google Maps, or whichever map is already working on your phone. Look for the road address, building name, hotel name, station, or nearby landmark. Do not waste time trying to pronounce a Korean address from memory.
Use subway station + exit number
In Seoul, “Gangnam Station, Exit 10” is much more useful than simply saying “Gangnam.” If you can see a station exit number, include it.
Use a large landmark
Hotel names, department stores, major tourist sites, hospitals, bridges, parks, and subway stations can all help narrow the location.
A convenience store can be a useful location clue
If you are beside a CU, GS25, 7-Eleven or emart24, check the branch name or address shown on the storefront, receipt, map listing, or delivery app. If the situation is safe enough, staff may also help you identify the address.
If you genuinely do not know the address, say:
Then stay on the call and answer the operator’s questions. The National Fire Agency specifically advises callers to provide the patient’s condition, location, age or relevant medical information when possible, and to remain on the line for instructions.
If you are outside and cannot find a normal street address, official 119 guidance also suggests clues such as a large building name or phone number, elevator identification number, national point number in mountain areas, highway location marker, utility-pole number, or road-name address. Keep your phone’s GPS turned on.
5. What Should You Tell 119?
For a medical emergency, you do not need to diagnose the patient. Give observable facts.
1. Where are you? Address, building, station, exit, landmark.
2. What happened? Collapse, fall, accident, chest pain, bleeding, breathing problem.
3. Is the person conscious?
4. Is the person breathing?
5. Approximate age and major medical condition, if known.
6. Stay on the line for first-aid instructions.
If the operator gives CPR or other emergency instructions, follow them as carefully as you can while the ambulance is on the way.
6. Is a 119 Ambulance Free in Korea?
Yes — the public 119 ambulance service operated by fire authorities is free for emergency transport.
That does not mean all medical care after you arrive at the hospital is free. Hospital treatment, tests, medication, and other medical services can still generate charges depending on your situation and insurance.
Also do not confuse a public 119 ambulance with a private or hospital-operated ambulance used for non-emergency transfers. Private ambulance transport can have separate fees.
Official Korea.net overview of emergency medical services →
7. What Is 1330 — and When Should Foreigners Use It?
1330 is the Korea Travel Helpline operated by the Korea Tourism Organization. It provides travel information, interpretation support, tourism assistance, and can connect travelers with related services.
The key distinction is simple:
Travel, interpretation or non-life-threatening assistance → 1330 can be useful
For example, 1330 may be useful if you are having trouble communicating about transportation, tourism, or a non-life-threatening situation. But if someone has collapsed, is severely injured, or you are in immediate danger, do not use 1330 as a substitute for emergency dispatch.
Official 1330 Korea Travel Helpline →
If your problem is simply getting around Korea rather than an emergency, our Korean Transportation Guide Vol. 5-3: How Foreigners Can Take a Taxi in Korea explains taxi apps, destinations, payment and late-night issues without turning a normal travel problem into an emergency call.
Why watch: It gives a broader visual overview of Korea’s major public-service numbers. Use the official links in this article for current details.
8. Emergency Ready App: Install It Before You Need It
Korea’s Emergency Ready App is designed to help foreign residents and visitors receive disaster and safety information in multiple languages.
According to Seoul Metropolitan Government guidance, the app supports disaster alerts, safety information, civil-defense shelter locations and information about emergency-related facilities. The government currently promotes multilingual support in many languages, including English.
The important thing is to understand its role:
Emergency Ready App → preparation, alerts and safety information
112 / 119 → immediate emergency reporting and dispatch
Install and configure it before a crisis. Choose your language and region, and allow the notifications you actually want. An app is much more useful when it is already installed than when you are trying to search an app store during an emergency.
Official Emergency Ready App guide in English →
9. Seven English Sentences Worth Saving
Ask for English support.
Police help is needed.
Medical emergency.
Fire emergency.
A person is injured.
Tell the operator, then give landmarks.
A useful location pattern in Korean cities.
10. Four Real-Life Situations
Someone suddenly collapses
Call 119. Say: “English, please. A person collapsed. Ambulance.” Then give the location and answer whether the person is conscious and breathing.
Someone is following or threatening you
Call 112. Move toward a bright, populated place if it is safe to do so. A convenience store, hotel lobby, police box, major station or staffed business may give you a safer place to wait.
There has been a traffic accident and someone is injured
Call 119 for emergency medical help. Police assistance may also be required depending on the crash.
You are sick, but it is not a life-threatening emergency
Do not treat 119 as a general medical-information line. For mild illness, use an appropriate clinic, hospital, pharmacy or information service. If symptoms become severe or life-threatening, call 119.
11. Other Numbers Foreign Residents May Need — But Not for Immediate Danger
Not every problem in Korea is a 112 or 119 emergency. For example, immigration questions such as visa, stay status or residence-related procedures are handled through the immigration system rather than emergency dispatch.
If your problem is about immigration or a Residence Card rather than immediate danger, see our How to Get Your ARC (Residence Card) in Korea: The Ultimate 2026 Guide. It explains the documents, immigration-office process and common problems foreigners face.
For a true emergency, remember 112 and 119 first. Everything else is secondary.
12. Before Your Trip: A 60-Second Emergency Setup
Do this once before you need it:
Save 112 as “Korea Police.”
Save 119 as “Korea Fire / Ambulance.”
Save 1330 as “Korea Travel Help.”
Install Emergency Ready if you want multilingual disaster alerts and shelter information.
Know the name and address of your hotel or accommodation in a map app you can open quickly.
That one minute of preparation is far more useful than memorizing ten different government phone numbers.
Final Rule: Call First, Explain Simply
In an emergency in Korea, do not wait because you are embarrassed about your Korean.
Fire, rescue or ambulance → 119
Then: “English, please.”
After that, focus on two things: what happened and where you are.
That is more important than speaking perfect English, knowing a long Korean address, or remembering every hotline in the country.
Emergency information is serious. End with a calmer look at the city you came to enjoy.
This recent 4K walk takes you inside Gyeongbokgung Palace, shifting from emergency information to the architecture, courtyards and gardens of Korea’s best-known Joseon royal palace.
▶ Dessert Video: Seoul Gyeongbokgung Palace Walking Tour, Korea | Spring 2026 • 4K
Why watch: A language-light 4K palace walk gives the article a distinctly Korean cultural finish without repeating emergency information.
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