While in many Western countries the emergency number to dial is 911, in Korea the main emergency number is 119. That makes it very easy for expats to remember! In any emergency, you should call this number. There are representatives that speak many different languages who can send the appropriate emergency services (fire, poison control, medical emergencies, etc.).
Important: Remember that whenever you call a number in Seoul from a cellphone, you must dial 02 before dialing the phone number. This means, if you are dialing 119 from a cell phone, it will really be (02) 119.
It is important to remember that cars do not pull over for ambulances in Korea. If you’re about to give birth, for example, it is probably a better idea to get into a cab as they have more right of way than an ambulance.
While there are no English speaking ambulance companies expats might be able to use in Seoul, there are several other useful phone numbers you should keep on your phone in case of an emergency. For these numbers and for more emergency services information, please visit the “Emergency services” segment of this website.
