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Getting Medical Help in Your Language in Korea (2026)

Checked against official sources on October 20, 2026

Illustration of a traveller and a nurse talking with the help of a smartphone

Summary

In an emergency, call 119 and say "English please" to reach an interpreter. For travel help in your language, the 1330 Korea Travel Hotline (+82-2-1330) answers in English, Japanese and Chinese 24 hours a day, and in Russian, Vietnamese, Thai and Malay/Indonesian from 08:00 to 19:00, as of October 2026. Many large hospitals run international healthcare centers. Bring a medicine list by ingredient name.

At a glance

Emergency
Say "English please"
1330 Travel Hotline
+82-2-1330
Medical Korea call line
1577-7129
Large hospitals
International Health Care Center
Bring
Medicine list by ingredient name
Translation apps
Back-up only

Details

Language is the hardest part of seeing a doctor abroad for many visitors. Korea has several official ways to get help in your language, from a phone interpreter in an emergency to international healthcare centers in large hospitals. This guide explains what each one is, based on official pages, and what to prepare. It names no individual clinic or hospital, and it is not medical advice.

Before you start

  • Know what you need. Emergency, travel help, finding a provider and interpreting at a visit are served by different services.
  • Medicine list by ingredient name. Brand names differ between countries. Add your allergies, your conditions and, if you can, the Korean for them. For example, 약 알레르기가 있어요yak allereugiga isseoyoI'm allergic to some medicines.
  • A phone with data or Wi-Fi, for calls and apps. See eSIM, SIM and Wi-Fi.
  • Your insurer's assistance number. Many travel insurers have their own interpreter or medical assistance line. Check yours.

Step by step

Step 1 — In an emergency, call 119

Call 119. Say "English please" or "Interpreter please" when the call connects. The operator links you to a professional interpreter. A Seoul district government page says 119 interpretation covers English, Chinese, Japanese, Mongolian and Vietnamese. Details are in emergency room and 119.

Step 2 — For travel help, call 1330

The 1330 Korea Travel Hotline (+82-2-1330) is run by the Korea Tourism Organization. As of October 2026 it answers in Korean, English, Japanese and Chinese 24 hours a day, and in Russian, Vietnamese, Thai and Malay/Indonesian from 08:00 to 19:00. The KTO pages also describe a free online call over Wi-Fi and a chat that needs no app. The pages we read do not describe 1330 as a medical service or say whether the operator can interpret for you at a clinic, so ask what they can do when you call.

Step 3 — Ask the Medical Korea support centers

The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI) run Medical Korea, a support service for foreign patients. The Ministry announced on 21 January 2025 that its information center for foreign patients had moved to B2 of Seoul Station on the Airport Railroad. The Medical Call line is 1577-7129, with consultations in English, Chinese, Japanese and Russian. The ministry lists these services: guidance on choosing medical institutions, connections to medical interpreters, reporting illegal recruitment of foreign patients and medical dispute consultation. The page does not give opening hours, so check before you visit. The Medical Korea site (medicalkorea.or.kr) also lists a center at Incheon Airport (+82-32-743-3506 or -3507) and a KHIDI number (+82-43-713-8000).

Medical Korea's hospital lists show which interpretation languages a registered hospital offers. See planned medical visit for what registration means and does not mean.

Step 4 — Use a hospital's international center

KTO says that many of Korea's large hospitals operate an International Health Care Center, with expert interpreters. KTO's listed examples keep mostly weekday hours, closed on weekends and public holidays. Search for a center in the area where you are, or ask the hospital's main desk whether one is available. Ask about the interpreter fee and whether you must book a time before you go.

Step 5 — Seoul help for residents and visitors

A Seoul district page describes the Seoul Global Center's Medical Referral Service: medically trained, English-speaking staff who give information and recommendations on medical facilities and services. It also lists a 1588-5644 interpretation service that offers real-time help from volunteers in 17 languages. Confirm the current hours and languages with the center before relying on it.

Step 6 — Use translation apps as a back-up

Papago, Google Translate and similar apps help with simple phrases and with showing Korean text on your phone. See useful apps. Back-up only. They can mistranslate medical terms. We found no official guidance on their use at clinics, so treat the app as a back-up, not a substitute for a human interpreter for diagnosis, consent or medicine instructions.

Phrases that work without an app:

  • 영어 하는 의사 선생님 계세요?yeongeo haneun uisa seonsaengnim gyeseyo?Is there a doctor who speaks English?
  • 외국인도 진료받을 수 있어요?oegugindo jillyobadeul su isseoyo?Can foreigners be seen here?
  • 여기가 아파요yeogiga apayoIt hurts here

What to bring and ask

Item Why
Passport Registration
Medicine list by ingredient name Avoids mix-ups with brand names
Allergies and conditions in writing Faster, clearer consultation
Insurer assistance number Some insurers arrange interpreters
Phone with a translation app Back-up

Ask the doctor to write the diagnosis and medicine names, and to repeat instructions slowly. If you take a controlled medicine, check the rules in pharmacy and hospital before you travel.

Common problems

  • Calling 1330 for an emergency. Use 119.
  • Assuming every clinic has an interpreter. Small clinics often do not. Ask in advance.
  • Relying on an app for consent. Do not sign forms you do not understand. Ask for a human interpreter.
  • Calling outside the hours. Check the language hours of 1330 and the center you want.

Questions and answers

Can I get an interpreter for free?

119 interpretation is part of the emergency line. For the others, the pages we read do not state fees, so ask each service.

Which languages does 1330 cover?

Korean, English, Japanese and Chinese 24 hours a day; Russian, Vietnamese, Thai and Malay/Indonesian from 08:00 to 19:00, as of October 2026.

Does KoreaStep recommend a hospital with interpreters?

No. KoreaStep does not name, rank or recommend clinics or hospitals. Use the official services above.

Official sources (7)

Last checked October 20, 2026Next check due January 18, 2027

Rules can change. Confirm on the official site before you travel.

Next stepComing to Korea for Medical Treatment: Checks to Make First (2026)

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