Emergency in Korea — Cheat Sheet
Save these numbers in your phone before you need them.
The three numbers that matter
| Number | What | Language |
|---|---|---|
| 112 | Police | English available |
| 119 | Fire / Ambulance / Medical emergency | English available |
| 1330 | Korea Travel Hotline (KTO) | 24/7, English + more |
1330 is your first call for non-life-threatening tourist trouble: lost passport, scam at a shop, need an interpreter at a hospital, missed your bus in the countryside. Free, 24 hours, run by the Korea Tourism Organization.
For 112/119, say "English please" and you will be connected to an interpreter. Calls are free from any phone, including without a SIM.
Hospital emergency rooms
Walk into any hospital with 응급실 (emergency room) signage — they must treat emergencies regardless of nationality. Large Seoul hospitals with international patient desks (English-speaking staff):
- Severance Hospital (Sinchon)
- Asan Medical Center (Songpa)
- Samsung Medical Center (Gangnam)
Bring your passport and travel insurance details. You pay upfront and claim from insurance later in most cases — keep every receipt. Ambulance via 119 is free.
Lost something?
- On the subway/bus: Seoul Metro lost & found — ask any station office, or check the operator's website. Items usually surface within a day.
- In a taxi: receipt has the company name and car number — call them. No receipt? Call 1330.
- Police lost-and-found portal: lost112.go.kr (Korean National Police Agency; English version available) — report/search lost items online. Also try calling 182.
Embassy contacts
Look up your country's embassy in Seoul before your trip and save the after-hours emergency line. The US, UK, Canadian, and Australian embassies are all in central Seoul (Jung-gu / Yongsan area). For a lost passport, the embassy issues an emergency travel document — this takes 1–3 business days, so report it immediately.
Quick checklist
- [ ] 112 / 119 / 1330 saved in phone
- [ ] Travel insurance policy number screenshotted
- [ ] Embassy emergency line saved
- [ ] Hotel address in Korean saved (show it to taxi drivers)
Information for reference only — emergency numbers and services can change. In a real emergency, call the number and follow official guidance.