South Korea (KR)
South Korea is a high-income East Asian democracy with world-class broadband, dense public transport, export-led technology giants, sophisticated healthcare, a powerful popular culture sector and one of Asia's most convenient urban lifestyles for expats who can adapt to Korean-language administration.
Capital: Seoul
Region: Asia
Language: Korean
Currency: KRW (₩)
Cost of living: Moderate (index 65)
Emergency: 119
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Emergency Numbers
Save these numbers before you need them.
General Emergency
119
Police
112
Fire Brigade
119
Ambulance
119
Poison Control
129 health and welfare counselling, or 119 for urgent poisoning
Mental Health
1393 suicide prevention hotline; 1577-0199 mental health crisis counselling
Domestic Violence
1366 Women's Emergency Hotline, multilingual support available through connected services
Child Protection
112 for child abuse reports; 129 welfare counselling
Road Assistance
Korea Expressway Corporation 1588-2504; insurers provide emergency roadside assistance
Holiday and night medical service search
129 or 119
Use E-Gen emergency medical portal or call 129/119 to locate night, weekend and holiday clinics.
24/7 triage by phone; clinic hours vary.
How to call emergency services in South Korea
For 119 or 112, say your location first. English interpretation may be connected, but having your Korean address written in Korean is strongly recommended.