If something goes wrong while travelling in Korea, you do not need to remember dozens of services.
Start with these three numbers:
112 — Police
119 — Fire, rescue and ambulance
1330 — Korea Travel Helpline
If someone is in immediate danger, seriously ill or injured, or needs urgent rescue, call 112 or 119 first.
Korea Emergency Numbers at a Glance
| Situation | Start here |
|---|---|
| Crime, violence, threats or urgent police assistance | 112 |
| Fire, rescue, ambulance or serious medical emergency | 119 |
| Travel information, interpretation or visitor assistance | 1330 |
| Visa, stay or immigration questions | 1345 |
| Disease or infectious-disease information | 1339 |
Save these numbers on your phone before travelling.
Call 112 When You Need the Police
Call 112 when you need urgent police assistance.
This includes situations involving:
- violence or threats
- theft or crime in progress
- immediate personal danger
- an incident requiring urgent police attendance
If you do not speak Korean, say:
“English please.”
or
“Interpreter please.”
Try to give your location as clearly as possible.
A hotel name, subway station, nearby building, shop or Korean street address can help emergency services locate you.
Call 119 for Fire, Rescue or Ambulance
Call 119 for:
- ambulance assistance
- fire
- rescue
- serious injury
- difficulty breathing
- unconsciousness
- severe bleeding
- another urgent medical situation
If someone may need emergency medical treatment, do not spend valuable time comparing hospitals online.
Call 119 first.
For non-emergency medical problems, Korea has hospitals, clinics and pharmacies throughout the country, and E-Gen provides emergency medical information.
For a more detailed explanation, read:
What to Do If You Get Sick While Travelling in Korea
Use 1330 When You Need Travel Help
The 1330 Korea Travel Helpline is operated by the Korea Tourism Organization.
It provides travel information and assistance for visitors through telephone and real-time chat services.
1330 can be useful when you:
- need tourism information
- need help communicating while travelling
- are unsure where to ask for visitor assistance
- need directions or travel guidance
- want to report a tourism-related inconvenience
Do not use 1330 instead of 112 or 119 during an immediate emergency.
Use 1345 for Immigration Questions
For immigration and stay-related questions, contact the Immigration Contact Center on 1345.
It can help with issues such as:
- visa matters
- period of stay
- residence status
- immigration office information
- immigration procedures
- online immigration services
Within Korea, dial 1345.
This is not an emergency number.
If someone is in immediate danger or needs urgent medical help, use 112 or 119 instead.
If You Lose Your Phone, Wallet, Passport or Bag
Korea has organised lost-property systems, and many items are returned through transport operators, businesses or the police.
Where you should start depends on where the item was lost.
For example:
- subway → ask the station or metro operator
- taxi → check the receipt or card payment record
- airport → contact the airport lost-and-found service
- shop, café or restaurant → contact the business directly
- unknown location → check the police LOST112 system
A lost passport needs extra attention because it is an identity and travel document.
Contact your embassy or consulate for instructions as well as the relevant Korean authority.
For the full step-by-step guide, read:
What to Do When You Lose Something in Korea
If You Receive an Emergency Alert
Visitors in Korea may receive government disaster or safety alerts on their phones.
Alerts can relate to:
- heavy rain
- typhoons
- flooding
- heatwaves
- fires
- earthquakes
- local safety incidents
- other public warnings
A loud alert does not automatically mean you must evacuate.
Check:
- Where is the alert about?
- What happened?
- Does it tell you to take action?
The Emergency Ready app provides multilingual disaster and safety information for foreign residents and visitors.
For a detailed explanation of Korean emergency alerts, read:
Emergency Alerts in Korea: What Foreigners Should Know
If You Need Medical Information but It Is Not an Emergency
For a serious or urgent medical situation, call 119.
For non-emergency information, E-Gen can help users find emergency medical resources and related medical information.
The KDCA Call Center on 1339 provides information about diseases and infectious diseases.
1339 should not be confused with an ambulance service.
If you are unsure whether symptoms are serious, seek professional medical advice rather than relying only on online information.
If You Do Not Speak Korean
Language can make a simple problem feel much more difficult.
Before travelling, save:
- your accommodation address in Korean
- screenshots of important bookings
- your passport details
- your travel insurance information
- emergency contact details
When asking for help, showing information on your phone is often easier than trying to pronounce an unfamiliar Korean address.
Useful places to ask for assistance can include:
- hotel reception
- tourist information centres
- subway or railway staff
- airport information desks
- police officers
For travel-related interpretation or visitor help, use 1330.
In an immediate emergency, use 112 or 119.
Seoul City Services: 120 Dasan Call Center
If your question concerns Seoul city services rather than an emergency, the 120 Dasan Call Center may be useful.
It can help with Seoul municipal services and local administrative questions.
For foreign-language assistance, Seoul currently directs users to 02-120, then press 9 and select the appropriate language.
Use 1345 instead when the issue concerns immigration or stay status.
Before You Travel: Save These Numbers
Save these numbers before you need them:
112 — Police
119 — Fire, rescue and ambulance
1330 — Korea Travel Helpline
1345 — Immigration Contact Center
1339 — Disease and infectious-disease information
Also save:
- your accommodation address in Korean
- your embassy or consulate contact details
- a copy of your passport information page
- travel insurance information
- an emergency contact
A few minutes of preparation can make an unfamiliar situation much easier to manage.
Related CoreaDesk Guides
Emergency Alerts in Korea: What Foreigners Should Know
What to Do When You Lose Something in Korea
What to Do If You Get Sick While Travelling in Korea
These guides provide more detailed instructions when a short emergency overview is not enough.
Final Thought
Korea has extensive public services, but knowing which service to use is often the difficult part for a visitor.
For most urgent situations, remember the simplest rule:
112 for police.
119 for fire, rescue or ambulance.
1330 for travel help.
Keep those numbers and your Korean address somewhere easy to reach.
Information Note: This guide provides general practical information for travellers. For emergencies, medical problems, immigration matters or legal issues, contact the appropriate official service directly.
Last fact-checked: September 2026