Informational only, not legal advice. Verify with official sources before relying on this.

Know Abroad

South KoreaSouth Korea

Health & Medical Emergencies

Last verified August 15, 2026

Written for U.S. passport holders

Emergency Numbers

  • Dial 119 for ambulance or fire. Dial 112 separately for police, two different numbers.
  • Both lines have interpretation services available, including English, so language shouldn't be a hard blocker even if the initial responder isn't bilingual.
  • For U.S. consular emergency assistance (a detained or hospitalized American, coordinating care, notifying family), call the State Department's Overseas Citizens Services from anywhere in the world: +1-888-407-4747 (from the U.S. or Canada) or +1-202-501-4444 (from overseas). This is separate from the local emergency number and won't dispatch an ambulance itself, but it's the number that gets the U.S. government involved.

Getting Treated as a Foreigner

  • South Korea's ambulance and initial emergency response is generally provided regardless of nationality or insurance, but as a foreign tourist without National Health Insurance coverage, you'll be billed the full, unsubsidized rate for hospital treatment.
  • South Korea's healthcare system is well regarded and, even at unsubsidized foreigner rates, is often less expensive than equivalent U.S. private care, but it's still an out-of-pocket cost without your own travel insurance.

The Gotcha

119 (medical/fire) and 112 (police) is the same split you'll see in Japan and Germany on this site, so if you're doing a multi-country Asia trip, don't let Japan's numbers bleed into your memory of Korea's, they happen to share the 119, but Korea's police line (112) is different from Japan's (110).

Sources

This page was drafted from the primary sources below. Rules change, so check the linked page directly before relying on any of this.