Emergency Services

EMERGENCIES can happen anytime and consequently, a little advanced planning won’t go amiss. When you move into your home and even when going around with your realtor, check on the location of the nearest hospital with an emergency department.

 EMERGENCY NUMBERS: The emergency telephone number for an ambulance is 119  (no, this is not a typo – some emergency/information numbers here are the opposite of the North American ones) – translators are available in over a dozen languages, including English. However, if no one is available when you call, you can also dial 1330  (02-119/ 02-1330 from a cell phone) and they will interpret for you. 

MRS (Medical Referral Service) is staffed by ex-pat and Korean volunteers who will give you information on the nearest hospital to your location, contact details, etc. They cannot give medical advice, but they can tell you where to get help.
Tel.: 010-4769-8212 or 010-8750-8212.
Hours: Regular: 8am - 8pm. Emergencies only 8pm to 8am

AMBULANCES: Since cars do not always move over for ambulances in Korea, it is often just as quick to drive or take a taxi to your nearest emergency department.  Note that if you call 119 from a landline and cannot communicate, the emergency services will trace your location. This is not the case, however, if you are calling from a cell phone. Alternatively, if you have a security system installed in your home, you can press the panic button and the security company will help you. 

POISON CONTROL information can be best obtained from the 121 Hospital Emergency Room on Yongsan Army Base at 7917-5545/6001. This is the best source of English-speaking information about poisoning in Korea. The Seoul Poison Center can be contacted by dialing 129, but you’re not guaranteed to reach an English speaker.

K4E Editor: Korea4Expats.com tries to ensure that the information we provide is accurate and complete, so should you notice any errors or omissions in the content above please contact us at info@korea4expats.com.