Korea Foreigner Helpline: How to Reach the Ministry of…

Navigating Korean bureaucracy gets much easier once you know which number to dial. Korea runs several free, multilingual helplines for foreign residents. The most important for visa and residency questions is 1345, the immigration helpline operated by the Ministry of Justice. This guide explains 1345, the emergency lines (112 and 119), the 1330 tourism helpline, and the support centers that serve foreign students, workers, marriage migrants, and overseas Koreans.

essential phone numbers for foreigners in Korea

What is the 1345 immigration hotline and who runs it?

The number 1345 is the Immigration Contact Center, run by the Korea Immigration Service under the Ministry of Justice. It answers questions about visas, the Alien Registration Card (ARC), extensions, and re-entry. According to the Korea Immigration Service, it provides counseling in roughly 20 languages. Calls are free of charge from any phone in Korea.

The 1345 line is the official 1345 immigration hotline Korea foreigner residents use before visiting an office in person. You do not need an area code. Just dial 1-3-4-5 from a Korean mobile or landline.

The Immigration Contact Center (1345) provides counseling on immigration and stay-related matters in about 20 foreign languages, according to the Korea Immigration Service.

What can 1345 help with?

• Visa types and required documents (D-2, D-10, E-7, F-2, F-4, F-5, F-6)
• Extension of stay and category change procedures
• ARC issuance, reissuance, and address registration
• Re-entry permits and overstay questions
• How to book a visit through the HiKorea portal

Operators answer general policy questions. They cannot guarantee a visa outcome, because immigration officers exercise discretion on each case. For account-specific actions, you still log in to HiKorea or visit an immigration office.

When can you call 1345?

The immigration helpline runs on weekdays, generally 09:00 to 18:00 Korea Standard Time, and is closed on public holidays. Call volumes peak right after lunch and near month-end, so early morning is usually faster. Choose your language from the automated menu first, then wait for a counselor.

HiKorea immigration appointment guide

Which emergency numbers should foreigners know?

For any life-threatening situation, dial 112 for police or 119 for fire and ambulance. Both lines work 24 hours and connect you to interpreter support when you speak in your own language. State your location first, then the problem. These are the core numbers in any Korea police fire ambulance foreigner guide, and calls are free from any phone, including ones without a SIM card.

Korea’s emergency system is built for speed, but it assumes the caller can describe where they are. Foreign residents often struggle here, so learn how interpretation works before you ever need it.

112 (police) and 119 (fire and ambulance)

• 112 handles crime, theft, assault, traffic accidents, and lost-and-found.
• 119 handles fire, medical emergencies, and rescue. The same line dispatches ambulances.
• Both connect to a three-way interpretation service. Say your language (“English,” “Vietnamese,” “Chinese”) and stay on the line while an interpreter joins.
• You can also send your location through the 119 app or by sharing GPS when prompted.

This is the heart of Korea emergency services English support foreigners rely on. Speak slowly, give a landmark or building name, and do not hang up until the dispatcher confirms help is coming.

Non-emergency support: 120 and BBB Korea

For non-urgent city services in Seoul, the 120 Dasan Call Center offers some foreign-language help on daily life questions like waste disposal, transit, and local administration. For free volunteer interpretation by phone, BBB Korea (1588-5644) connects you to bilingual volunteers in many languages. Neither replaces 112 or 119 in a true emergency.

How do you use the 1330 tourism helpline?

Dial 1330 to reach the Korea Tourism Organization travel helpline. It runs 24 hours a day with multilingual interpreters in English, Japanese, Chinese, and more. Originally for tourists, 1330 now helps residents too with transport, directions, and general living questions. It can also act as a real-time interpreter during a difficult phone call, such as with a taxi driver or shop.

Learning 1330 Korea tourism helpline how to use is simple: dial 1330, pick your language, and ask. The Korea Tourism Organization staffs the line around the clock, which makes it useful at night when the 1345 immigration helpline is closed.

What 1330 is good for

• Train, bus, subway, and intercity transport questions
• Translation help during a live conversation (three-way calling)
• Restaurant, accommodation, and minbak (homestay) booking issues
• Filing a complaint about a taxi or service problem

Keep in mind 1330 is not an immigration line. For visa or ARC matters, route back to 1345 or HiKorea. Use 1330 when you need fast, around-the-clock language help for daily life.

Where can foreigners find multilingual support centers?

Beyond phone lines, Korea operates physical and online foreigner support centers. The Danuri helpline (1577-1366) serves marriage migrants and multicultural families 24/7 in 13 languages, run by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. Local Multicultural Family Support Centers offer Korean classes, counseling, and interpretation. For general civil services, Government24 provides English-language access to many official documents.

These centers are the backbone of foreigner support center Korea multilingual services, and most are free.

Danuri and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family

The Danuri portal and its 1577-1366 helpline focus on F-6 marriage migrants and F-5 permanent residents in multicultural families. Support includes domestic-violence counseling, interpretation, and settlement help. Learn more through the Danuri portal and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family.

KIIP and local centers for students and workers

Foreign students on D-2 or D-10 visas and workers on E-7 or F-2 visas can use the Korea Immigration and Integration Program (KIIP), which counts toward points for F-2 and F-5 applications. Sejong Hakdang and local centers add Korean classes and orientation.

KIIP program Korea visa points

Which helpline should you call: a quick decision guide?

Match the number to the problem. For visa, ARC, and stay questions, call 1345, the Ministry of Justice immigration helpline. For crime, fire, or medical emergencies, call 112 or 119. For 24/7 travel and interpretation, call 1330. For marriage-migrant and family support, call the Danuri helpline at 1577-1366. When unsure, 1330 can route you because it runs around the clock.

Keep these five numbers saved in your phone. Most calls are free, none require an area code, and each connects you to interpreter support so you can explain your situation in your own language.

For official policy and English statutes, you can also check the Ministry of Government Legislation and Government24.