Emergency Rooms in Korea: What to Do in a Medical Emergency

For foreign residents, the hardest part of a medical emergency is often knowing which number to call, what to say, and what to expect at the hospital. This guide covers what to do in the moment and what to prepare before anything happens.

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The key phone numbers

119, ambulance and fire

Dial 119 from any phone for a medical, fire, or serious accident emergency. The National Fire Agency tells callers to explain that there is a patient, give the exact location, describe what hurts or what happened, and share the patient's age or major medical history if relevant.

119 operators speak Korean as default. If you do not speak Korean, say "English please", keep sentences short, and give your location first.

When you call, be ready to say:

• Your location (address, building name, apartment number, or a nearby landmark)
• What happened (injury, symptom, suspected condition)
• Who is affected (age, conscious/unconscious, breathing/not breathing)
• Your name and phone number

If you are not sure of your address, tell them a landmark or the nearest subway station exit number.

119 also handles triage advice

You do not need a separate number to ask "is this an emergency?" Triage advice by phone now runs through 119 as well. Call 119 to ask:

• "Is this an emergency?"
• "Which hospital should I go to?"
• "Which pharmacy is open at 2 AM?"
• "Which emergency room should I go to?"

A note on 1339: this used to be the Ministry of Health emergency medical information line, but those functions moved to 119 in 2013. The 1339 number now operates under the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) as an infectious disease and public health consultation line, not a general emergency triage line. For an emergency, call 119.

112, police

If the emergency involves violence, a crime, a missing person, or a person in immediate danger to self or others, call 112.

What "emergency room" means in Korea

Korean emergency care is tiered. Know the difference:

Regional Emergency Medical Centre (권역응급의료센터), Level 1

One of the emergency medical institution categories named in Korean emergency medical law. These centers are designed for serious emergency care.

Local Emergency Medical Centre (지역응급의료센터), Level 2

Another designated emergency medical institution category. These centers are often more appropriate than a regional center for serious but less specialized emergencies.

Local Emergency Medical Institution (지역응급의료기관), Level 3

The smaller designated emergency institution category. For mild night or weekend problems, this may be more appropriate than the highest-tier ER.

야간 / 공휴일 진료 (night / holiday clinics)

Not a full ER. These are clinics or hospitals with extended-hour shifts for minor urgent issues. Use them only when the problem is not potentially serious.

의원 (neighborhood clinic)

Not an emergency facility. Do not go to your local clinic for a life-threatening emergency.

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When to go to an ER versus not

Go to an ER immediately

• Loss of consciousness or altered mental state
• Suspected stroke (sudden weakness, facial droop, slurred speech, severe sudden headache)
• Chest pain, especially with shortness of breath or radiating pain
• Suspected heart attack
• Severe difficulty breathing
• Severe bleeding, uncontrolled after 10 minutes of pressure
• Major trauma (car accident, fall from height, head injury with symptoms)
• Seizure, especially first-time or lasting more than 5 minutes
• Suspected overdose or poisoning
• Severe allergic reaction (swelling of face/throat, trouble breathing)
• High fever with confusion, severe headache, or stiff neck
• Severe abdominal pain with vomiting and fever
• Signs of pregnancy complication (heavy bleeding, severe pain)

Consider urgent care (야간진료) instead

• Mild fever, cold/flu symptoms
• Minor cuts needing stitches
• Ear pain, sore throat
• Mild sprains, strains
• Non-urgent prescription refills
• Minor allergic reactions with no breathing trouble

Wait until the morning if

• Minor aches and pains
• Dental issues without severe swelling, trauma, fever, or breathing trouble
• Rashes without fever or breathing trouble
• Routine follow-up

If in doubt, call 119 for triage advice.

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What it can cost

What changed in September 2024: the KTAS triage rule

When you arrive at an ER, staff assign you a triage level using the Korean Triage and Acuity Scale (KTAS), from 1 (most urgent) to 5 (non-urgent). This level now drives your cost.

Since September 13, 2024, mild emergency patients under the Korean Triage and Acuity Scale who use a Regional Emergency Medical Center (권역응급의료센터), Specialist Emergency Medical Center (전문응급의료센터), or Regional Trauma Center (권역외상센터) can face a 90 percent patient share. Non-emergency KTAS 5 patients can also face the 90 percent rule at some high-tier centers, including Local Emergency Medical Centers (지역응급의료센터). Residents who arrived before September 2024 may have internalized the old cost-share figure.

The practical takeaway: if your symptoms are mild (cold, mild fever, earache, minor cut), do not go to the highest-tier ER just because it is famous. A lower-tier ER or a 야간진료 night clinic may be the more appropriate place. Save the highest-tier centers for serious symptoms.

With NHIS (registered foreign resident or dependent)

If NHIS applies, the patient share (본인부담) depends on your triage level, the emergency-center category, and what tests or treatment you receive. Non-covered items are separate.

If you also have private 실비보험 or international insurance, you file with that insurer separately.

Without NHIS

If you do not have NHIS, ask the hospital billing desk how the bill will be handled and what documents your private or travel insurer will need. Costs vary by hospital, test, and treatment.

Bring a payment method with room on it. This is one practical piece of ER preparation for foreign residents, especially if you do not yet have NHIS.

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What to bring to the ER

If you have time to grab things:

• Passport + ARC (for insurance and identification)
• Korean health insurance card (if issued; NHIS records also work)
• Payment card with room for a hospital bill
• Phone + charger (you may need to contact family or translate)
• List of current medications (names in English and the original packaging if possible)
• Known allergies written down
• Emergency contact name and phone number

If you are going alone and do not speak Korean, ask a Korean-speaking friend to come or keep simple translated sentences ready on your phone.

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English-capable ERs

Do not assume an ER has guaranteed English-speaking staff at every hour. For a life-threatening emergency, call 119 first. For a non-life-threatening problem, call the hospital before you go and ask whether the international center or ER can support your language at that time.

For a fuller list of hospitals and clinics by district, see Seoulstart's healthcare directory.

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The 119 call: worked example

You wake up at 2 AM and your roommate is having chest pain and difficulty breathing.

1. Call 119 from your phone. "Ambulance please."
2. If English-only: say "English please" and keep repeating your location and the symptom.
3. Give your address: "I am at [building name], [apartment number], in [district]." Include the nearest subway station if you know it.
4. Describe: "My roommate is having chest pain and cannot breathe well. He is [age] and [male/female]."
5. They will ask: "Is he conscious? Is he breathing?" Answer plainly.
6. Stay on the line. They will keep you talking until the ambulance arrives. If your roommate loses consciousness or stops breathing, the operator will walk you through CPR.
7. Unlock the building door before the ambulance arrives. Many minutes are lost at entrances.
8. Grab his phone, wallet, and ID if you can.
9. Follow the 119 team's instructions on which hospital they will use and whether you can ride with the patient.

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What to do after an ER visit

1. Save all paperwork. The discharge summary, receipts, diagnostic reports. You need them for any private insurance claim and for an annual out-of-pocket cap (본인부담상한제) review.
2. Follow up with a regular doctor. ERs stabilize and send you home. Anything that happened in the ER should be followed up with a primary care doctor, specialist, or the same hospital's outpatient department.
3. File private insurance claims. If you have 실비보험 or international insurance, submit the discharge summary plus receipts under your insurer's rules.
4. Review the bill. If something looks wrong, contact the hospital billing office.

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Tips specific to foreign residents

• Save 119 in your phone now. Speed-dial if possible.
• Know your address in Korean. Practice saying your building name, apartment number, and nearest major landmark. This is the single biggest friction point in an emergency call.
• Keep your NHIS card, passport, and ARC accessible. Everyone in the household should know where emergency documents are.
• Register an ICE contact on your phone lockscreen (In Case of Emergency, with relationship and phone number).
• If you travel with prescription medications, always keep them in original packaging with a doctor's note.
• Learn basic medical Korean phrases. Knowing the word for your chronic condition can shave minutes off triage.

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What to do next

1. Right now: save 119 and the main number of your nearest major hospital to your phone.
2. This week: add your address in Korean as a phone note. Practice saying it out loud. Register your ICE contact on the lockscreen.
3. This month: make sure everyone in your household knows where your ARC, passport, and NHIS card are kept, and has a basic idea of which hospital to go to.
4. If you have a chronic condition: carry a short Korean-language summary card (symptom, allergies, medications) in your wallet.
5. Before travel inside Korea: check the nearest emergency facility at your destination via e-gen.or.kr.

For general medical navigation, see Seoulstart's finding English-speaking doctors guide. For insurance basics, the NHIS enrollment guide covers the card and coverage. Mental health crises are covered in the mental health care guide.

@misc{seoulstart-korea-emergency-room-guide,
  author = {{Seoulstart Editorial Team}},
  title = {{Emergency Rooms in Korea: What to Do in a Medical Emergency}},
  year = {2026},
  publisher = {Seoulstart},
  url = {https://seoulstart.com/guides/korea-emergency-room-guide},
  note = {Last updated June 6, 2026}
}