Emergency numbers, tourist police, hospitals, scams and safety tips for Seoul, South Korea. Every Safety Centre page is pre-cached in the free CityNav app, so these numbers load instantly โ even with no signal or roaming data.
Open CityNav Free โ See Seoul transit guideSource: Korean National Police Agency (police.go.kr)
Korea Tourist Police โ 1330
The 1330 Korea Travel Hotline (24/7, multilingual) plus dedicated Tourist Police patrol Myeongdong, Insadong, Hongdae and Itaewon to help visitors with crime, scams and directions.
Hospital emergency rooms treat urgent cases, but tourists pay and costs can be high, so travel insurance is essential. Dial 119 for an ambulance. Large hospitals have international clinics with English-speaking staff; the 1330 hotline helps locate them, and pharmacies (yakguk) assist with minor issues.
Most embassies are in central Seoul, particularly Jongno-gu and Yongsan-gu near Itaewon. Search your own country's embassy directory for the exact address.
Find your embassy in South Korea โSave these to your phone โ CityNav keeps them available offline so you can show or say them even without signal.
| English | Local | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Help! | ๋์์ฃผ์ธ์! (Dowajuseyo!) | doh-wah-JOO-seh-yoh |
| Call the police | ๊ฒฝ์ฐฐ์ ๋ถ๋ฌ์ฃผ์ธ์ (Gyeongchareul bulleojuseyo) | kyung-chah-rul BUL-luh-joo-seh-yoh |
| I need a doctor | ์์ฌ๊ฐ ํ์ํด์ (Uisaga piryohaeyo) | oo-ee-sah-gah pee-ryo-heh-yoh |
| Where is the hospital? | ๋ณ์์ด ์ด๋์์? (Byeongwoni eodiyeyo?) | byung-won-ee UH-dee-yeh-yoh |
| I'm lost | ๊ธธ์ ์์์ด์ (Gireul ir.eosseoyo) | kee-rul EE-russ-uh-yoh |
Dial 112 for police and 119 for ambulance or fire. The multilingual 1330 tourist hotline can also connect and interpret for you.
Seoul is very safe at night, even for solo travellers; the main caution is around busy nightlife districts where tout scams and overcharging occur.
Call 112 or 1330 for help, file a police report for your insurance, and cancel stolen cards immediately. Tourist Police can assist in major visitor areas.
Frontline English varies, but Tourist Police in major areas speak English and the 1330 hotline provides 24/7 multilingual support and interpretation.
Last verified: 2026-08-14
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