Tourist information and interpretation help

The 1330 Korea Travel Hotline, run by the Korea Tourism Organization, offers travel information and interpretation in several languages. Dial 1330 within Korea, or add the country code from abroad. In emergencies, call the police at 112 or fire and ambulance services at 119.

The 1330 hotline offers help in Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese and Russian, as well as Vietnamese, Thai, Malay, Indonesian and others. Service hours differ by language, and some languages are available only during the daytime, so check the official guidance. Besides phone calls, it may also offer chat consultations, which is useful if you prefer typing.

The 1330 hotline operates every day of the year, but not every language is available around the clock. Hours vary by language and type of service, and some languages are offered only during the daytime. If you might need help late at night, check the Korea Tourism Organization's official guidance for your language's hours in advance.

Sometimes. 1330 says it supports three-way interpretation when connecting you to public agency call centers. It is not guaranteed in other situations, such as with a taxi driver or restaurant, so call first and ask whether they can interpret with the other person on the line. For complex legal or medical matters, they can point you to specialist services.

Tourist information centers are found in busy places such as Incheon Airport, major train stations, Myeongdong and Insadong. You can pick up maps and brochures and ask about transport and sights. Regional cities often have centers near the train station or bus terminal as well.

In tourist areas like Myeongdong in Seoul, you may see mobile tourist guides in red uniforms walking around to help foreign visitors. They give directions, tourist information and simple interpretation. Their operating areas and hours may vary by season, so they are not always on duty.

Tourist police units that used to operate in cities such as Seoul and Busan were reportedly disbanded in 2024. For crimes or emergencies, call 112, and for overcharging or other travel problems, the 1330 tourist hotline can help with advice and interpretation. You can also visit a nearby police station or police box.

Several translation apps support Korean, and camera translation for menus and signs is especially useful. Voice conversation modes let you have simple exchanges as well. Rather than relying on one, install two and compare which works better for you. Offline language packs are useful too.

Large hospitals that treat foreign patients often have international clinics or interpretation services. The 1330 hotline can also help you find medical facilities and provide basic interpretation. In an emergency, call 119 first, and they can help get you to care quickly.

Yes. Korea has nonprofit services where volunteers help with interpretation by phone. They support many languages and can help when you need simple communication. Check the official information for how the service works and how to contact it. Volunteer services are not meant for emergencies.

For questions about visas, length of stay or immigration, the Immigration Contact Center at 1345 offers multilingual help. An easy way to remember: 1330 for tourism, 1345 for immigration. Check official guidance for consultation hours and supported languages. The service is free to call within Korea.

Seoul's Dasan Call Center at 120 provides information on transport, daily life and city services, including foreign-language support. It helps when you have questions about public transport or public facilities. Check Seoul's official guidance for supported languages and hours. Outside Seoul, use the local government call center.

Yes. Seoul and several other cities run free or low-cost walking tours led by volunteer guides. Some offer foreign-language courses, which are a great way to learn about history and culture. Most require advance booking, so check the official website.

You can report issues such as overcharging, rude service or accommodation problems to the Korea Tourism Organization's tourist complaint service or the 1330 hotline. Keeping receipts, photos and details of the place and time helps. Report crimes to the police at 112.

The Korea Tourism Organization's official travel website and app provide information on sights, festivals, transport and accommodation in multiple languages. Local governments also run multilingual tourism websites. Details can change, so double-check opening status before you visit. Official social media channels are useful too.

You can ask for help at tourist information centers, subway station offices, convenience stores and police stations. Keeping your hotel name and address written on paper is useful for asking directions or taking a taxi. Public phones have become rare, but some stations still have them.

The Korea Tourism Organization and local governments provide barrier-free travel information for visitors such as wheelchair users. You can find details on wheelchair rentals and accessible accommodation and sights. Also check subway station elevator locations in advance. Some sites also list accessible restrooms.

Signs at major sights and transport facilities are mostly in Korean and English, and many also include Chinese and Japanese. Small alleys and rural areas may have Korean only. Using a translation app's camera feature helps fill the gaps. Station staff can also help with directions.

You can search for lost items on the Police Civil Service 24 portal or report the loss at a nearby police station; as of November 2026, police lost-and-found services are integrated into that portal. If you lost something on public transport, contact the operator's lost-and-found center first, and if language is a barrier, ask the 1330 hotline for interpretation.

If you lose your passport or are involved in a serious incident, contact your country's embassy or consulate. Most embassies are in Seoul, so save the emergency contact number in advance. For a lost passport, ask your mission about a replacement or emergency travel document; whether you need a police loss report first depends on the embassy, so follow its guidance.