Help Lines for Foreign Workers in Korea: Which Number to Call and When

When something goes wrong far from home, the hardest part is often knowing who to call. Korea has separate numbers for emergencies, immigration, work problems, health and more. Pick the right one first and you'll save time — and stress. This page lists the numbers foreign workers use most, what each one does, and what to have ready.

Which number? A quick map

119 and 112: emergencies

119 is for fire, ambulance and rescue — a bad injury, someone collapsing, smoke. 112 is the police — violence, threats, theft or a crash with injuries. Both calls are free and work around the clock.

No Korean? Stay calm. Say short words in English: “ambulance,” “fire,” “police,” then where you are. Fire and rescue headquarters in many regions offer phone interpretation. Don't hang up first. The operator may be connecting an interpreter or finding your location.

1. What happened, in a word or two. “Fire.” “Fall, bleeding.” “Man hit me.”
2. Where you are. Read your saved address, or name a big building, company or bus stop nearby.
3. How many are hurt. Numbers are enough.
4. Stay on the line. If someone near you speaks Korean, hand them the phone.

If a coworker gets hurt at work, call 119 first. Tell your supervisor or safety manager right after. Treatment comes first; paperwork can wait.

Not sure it's an emergency?

People often wait too long because they don't want to “bother” anyone. Here's a simple rule. If someone can't breathe well, has bad bleeding, has hit their head hard, has chest pain, can't move or won't wake up — call 119 now. Don't drive them yourself unless 119 tells you to.

If it's painful but not dangerous — a sprained ankle, a small cut, a fever — go to a nearby clinic during opening hours instead. At night or on a holiday, a hospital emergency room can see you, but it costs more and you may wait a long time.

For a crime, think the same way. If someone is hurting you or threatening you right now, call 112. If it already happened and you're safe — a stolen phone, say — you can still call 112 or go to the nearest police box to report it.

After you call

When you call 119, the operator may ask questions you don't understand. Repeat your address slowly. Answer “yes” or “no” if that's all you can manage. If you can, send someone to the street or the gate to wave down the ambulance. Factory sites are big, and the crew may not know which building you're in.

At the hospital, show your residence card or passport. Tell the staff clearly if the injury happened at work, because that changes which insurance is used. Then let your supervisor know. Keep every paper you're given.

After a police report, ask for the case number or a receipt. You may need it later for insurance, your employer or immigration.

1345: immigration questions

1345 is the Korea Immigration Service's call center for foreigners. Call it about visas, extending your stay, your residence card, reports and daily life. It can also join a three-way call to interpret between you and some public offices.

• Hours: weekdays 9:00–22:00, closed on public holidays.
• Languages: 20, including English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Mongolian, Indonesian, Bengali, Urdu, Russian, Nepali, Khmer, Burmese, Filipino, Arabic and Sinhala. After 18:00, only Korean, English and Chinese.
• Cost: normal call charges. From abroad, dial +82-2-1345.

Before you call, have your residence card or passport number ready. Write your question in one or two lines. Afterwards, note the date, the time and what you were told — especially any deadline. Many questions can also be answered on HiKorea; our HiKorea guide shows where.

1350: anything about work

1350 is the Ministry of Employment and Labor's help line. Call it about:

• Late, wrong or below-minimum pay — see our minimum wage guide to check your pay first
• Contracts, hours, overtime and rest days
• Severance pay and E-9 insurance — our severance pay guide explains the basics
• Changing workplace under EPS
• How to file a petition at the labor office

It's open on weekdays during office hours, with interpretation for foreign callers. Keep your contract, pay slips and residence card close when you call. If your case is complicated, ask which documents to bring to the labor office.

Health questions: 1339 and 1577-1000

1339 is the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. It answers questions about infectious diseases and public health — say, symptoms after a trip, or what to do during an outbreak. It's free, 24 hours a day, every day. For other languages it sets up a three-way call with an interpreter.

1577-1000 is the National Health Insurance Service: premiums, coverage and your insurance card. There's a foreign-language option on weekdays from 9:00 to 18:00. Our health insurance guide explains what you pay at a clinic.

For a medical emergency, skip both. Call 119.

More places that can help

• 1330 Korea Travel Hotline: run for visitors by the Korea Tourism Organization, but handy for quick interpretation — with a taxi driver or at a shop, for example.
• 1577-1366 Danuri call center: counselling for multicultural families and migrant women, in many languages, around the clock.
• 132 Korea Legal Aid Corporation: free legal advice. Foreign workers can ask about help with disputes, like unpaid wages that end up in court.
• 1588-0075 Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service: questions about accident insurance after a work injury.
• Foreign worker support centers: local centers in some cities and provinces offer counselling, interpretation and Korean classes. Their names and number changed after 2024 budget cuts, so ask 1350 or search your city name with “외국인근로자지원센터”.

Making any call go better

• Call from somewhere quiet and speak slowly.
• Keep your residence card, contract and workplace address in front of you.
• Ask for the counsellor's name. Write down what they said and when.
• Line busy? Try early in the morning. Mondays are usually the busiest, so a Tuesday or Wednesday call often gets through faster.
• If a friend interprets, ask them to repeat the answer back to you in your own language.