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  • Getting Help in Korea: Which Number, Which Office

    Getting Help in Korea: Which Number, Which Office

    Korea has a public service for almost every problem a foreign resident runs into. The difficulty is not that help is missing. It is that each service was created by a different ministry under a different law, so there is no single number, and the one you need depends on what happened.

    Three phone lines, one legal route and one counter cover most of it. This page sorts them by the situation you are in, then compares their hours and their intended users side by side, because those two things decide more than the subject of your question does.

    What this guide covers
    01 Start here: which service for which situation
    02 When you need someone on the phone
    03 When the problem is a legal one
    04 When you have to go somewhere in person
    05 Which line stays open when
    06 Who each service was written for
    07 Frequently asked questions

    Start here: which service for which situation

    Services verified September 2026 · Ministry of Justice · Ministry of Gender Equality and Family · Korea Legal Aid Corporation

    Find the row that matches what is happening, then read the guide behind it.

    Which one do you need
    All of these are free at the point of use
    If this is happening Call or go to
    A crime, a fire, a medical emergency 112 or 119 first. Then 1577-1366 for an interpreter
    A visa, residence or registration question 1345, weekdays
    You cannot understand an office, a hospital or a bank 1577-1366 for three-way interpretation
    A contract, a dispute, something that may end up in court 132, or a village lawyer through 1345
    Unpaid wages, or a problem at work 1350, the labor ministry
    Classes, childcare, ongoing support near home A family center, in person

    Two of those rows send you somewhere that is not a helpline at all. Wage problems belong to the labor ministry rather than to a lawyer, and anything ongoing is better handled at a counter than on a phone.

    Three other ministry lines come up often enough to be worth memorizing: 126 for tax, 1372 for consumer problems and 1332 for financial disputes. The Legal Aid Corporation names all three when a question falls outside its own remit.

    When you need someone on the phone

    Three national lines, and they do not overlap as much as they look like they do.

    1577-1366, the Danuri Call Center, runs 365 days a year and 24 hours a day in fifteen languages. Its three-way interpretation covers the police, emergency services, hospitals, community service centers, schools and banks. Of the three, it is the only one open at night and at the weekend. The full guide to 1577-1366 covers the five services it lists and who the statute wrote it for.

    1345, the Immigration Contact Center, carries twenty languages on weekdays from 09:00 to 22:00 and drops to Korean, English and Chinese after 18:00. It is the line for visas and residence, and its menu does two things without an operator at all. The guide to 1345 has the whole menu, including the star key that switches the call into your language.

    112 and 119 are the police and the emergency services. They dispatch help; an interpretation line does not. Calling 112 or 119 without Korean explains how to add an interpreter to a call you have already made.

    In an emergency, dial 112 or 119 first
    The interpretation lines add language to a call. They do not send an ambulance or a patrol car. Make the emergency call first, then bring in interpretation.

    When the problem is a legal one

    Three public routes give free legal consultations, and each is built on a different principle: one on where you live, one on who you are, one open to whoever dials it.

    The Village Lawyer scheme assigns a lawyer to a district. The Danuri Call Center runs a Korean Bar Association appointment on Tuesday afternoons with interpretation included. The Korea Legal Aid Corporation answers on 132 on weekdays, with a lunch break in the middle. The guide to free legal advice sets the three side by side and lists what none of them will take.

    These are consultations rather than representation. A consultation tells you what the law says; it does not file anything for you.

    Interpretation works differently on each route. The Tuesday appointment has it built in, the village lawyer route runs it through 1345, and the 132 line does not publish what it offers. That difference is often what decides which route is usable rather than which one fits the subject.

    When you have to go somewhere in person

    Some things do not resolve on a phone. Classes, childcare, counseling that continues over weeks, help with a form in front of you — those belong at a counter.

    Family centers are the national network for that, with 229 of them. Two different statutes sit behind the building, and only one of them names a group, so whether a program is open to you depends on which law it belongs to rather than on the sign outside. The guide to family centers has the comparison and the Korean sentence that settles it at the desk.

    Cities with large foreign populations often run their own centers as well, and those take subjects the national services do not, such as a dispute with an employer. Ansan runs one with fourteen languages and Sunday opening, built around factory shifts rather than office hours.

    Public health centers are the other counter worth knowing. They handle health paperwork that employers ask for, and treatment at some of them is free for foreign workers.

    Which line stays open when

    Read the hours together and the pattern is simple: one line never closes, and everything else keeps office hours.

    Opening hours, side by side
    Emergency numbers are not listed — 112 and 119 never close
    Service Hours Languages
    1577-1366 24 hours, 365 days 15, all of them at any hour
    1345 Weekdays 09:00–22:00 20 by day, 3 after 18:00
    132 Weekdays 09:00–11:50, 13:00–17:50 Ask when you call
    Danuri lawyer Tuesdays 14:00–16:00. Book ahead Interpretation included
    Family centers Each center sets its own Varies by center

    The evening gap is the one to plan around. If your language is not Korean, English or Chinese, a call to 1345 after 18:00 will not reach an operator who speaks it, and 1577-1366 becomes the only line that will.

    One more detail sits under the 24-hour line. The Danuri center runs seven regional offices on the same number, and outside Seoul a call placed after 18:00 routes automatically to the main line rather than to the local office. The number you dial does not change.

    Who each service was written for

    This is the part that is hardest to find in English, and it changes which door is actually open to you. Each service traces back to a statute, and the statutes do not describe the same people.

    What the statutes say
    The wording of the law, not an agency summary
    Service Set up for
    1345 Foreign residents, and by decree foreigners staying in Korea — the widest of the three
    1577-1366 Marriage immigrants and multicultural families
    Village Lawyer Residents of a district that has a lawyer assigned
    Family center programs Depends on the program. One statute names multicultural families; the other names no group at all

    None of these services publishes a rule saying who may not call, so this table describes what each law was written to do rather than who will be turned away. When your situation sits near an edge, the honest move is to ask rather than to assume in either direction.

    Frequently asked questions

    What is 1345 in Korea?
    The Immigration Contact Center, run by the Ministry of Justice. Visas, residence and registration questions, plus three-way interpretation with government bodies. Twenty languages on weekdays 09:00 to 22:00, three of them after 18:00. Dial +82-2-1345 from outside Korea.
    Which number works at the weekend?
    1577-1366, which runs 365 days a year including public holidays, in fifteen languages. 1345 and 132 are closed on Saturday and Sunday. For an emergency, 112 and 119 never close.
    Do any of these cost money?
    The services are public and free. You pay whatever your own phone plan charges for a call, except on 132, where the corporation covers the call charge. Individual family center programs may charge a fee, set by the center.
    My problem is unpaid wages. Where does that go?
    The Ministry of Employment and Labor on 1350, which the Legal Aid Corporation itself names for employment matters. City helplines in areas with many foreign workers often take wage cases directly as well.
    What if my language is not on any of these lists?
    1345 carries twenty languages and 1577-1366 carries fifteen, and the two lists are not identical, so check both. A family center may also have staff or volunteers in languages the national lines do not cover.
    Getting help in Korea
    Free Phone Interpretation in Korea: The Danuri Call Center
    Fifteen languages around the clock, and a three-way call that puts an interpreter on the line with the police, a hospital or a bank.
    Calling 112 or 119 in Korea When You Do Not Speak Korean
    Which number covers crime, fire and everything slower, and which line adds an interpreter to the call.
    What 1345 Is in Korea, and How to Get Through Its Menu
    The immigration helpline in 20 languages, the star key that switches the call, and the two menu options that finish a task without an operator.
    Free Legal Advice in Korea: Three Routes and Who Each Is For
    The Village Lawyer scheme, the Danuri lawyer appointment, and the legal aid line on 132 — with the interpretation route for each.
    Family Centers in Korea: Who Can Use Them and What They Offer
    229 centers, two statutes behind them, and the eligibility question that decides which programs are open to you.

    Official sources

    Every figure here comes from the pages below, and each linked guide carries its own sources in full.

    · Korea Immigration Service · Immigration Contact Center (1345)
    · Korean Institute for Healthy Family · Danuri Call Center · family center finder
    · Korea Legal Aid Corporation · 132 counseling line
    · Ministry of Justice · Village Lawyer scheme
    Information verified as of September 2026. Operating hours and language lists change, and the 1345 center runs under a contract that ends on 31 December 2026. Confirm with the official source before you rely on a detail. In an emergency, dial 112 or 119 first.
    This site is not affiliated with the Korean government. Always confirm details with the official source.
  • Family Centers in Korea: Who Can Use Them and What They Offer

    Family Centers in Korea: Who Can Use Them and What They Offer

    The word multicultural sits on a lot of Korean government signage, and it turns people away. A family center (가족센터) is read as a place for marriage immigrants, so a student or a worker walks past it.

    Two different laws are at work behind that one building. One creates a center for families in general and says the state must run them. The other creates a center for multicultural families and says the state may. Many local governments run both under one roof and one name, which is where the confusion starts.

    There are 229 of them across the country. This guide covers what each law puts inside them, how to find the one nearest you, and what the counter can actually do for a person who does not speak Korean.

    What this guide covers
    01 Who these centers are for
    02 What the law puts inside them
    03 How to find the center near you
    04 Korean lessons, and where else to look
    05 Interpretation and translation
    06 What to say at the counter
    07 Frequently asked questions

    Who these centers are for

    Rules verified September 2026 · Framework Act on Healthy Families Article 35 · Multicultural Families Support Act Article 12

    Two statutes, two groups, and one difference in wording that decides a lot.

    Two centers behind one sign
    Both are supervised by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family (성평등가족부)
    Healthy Family Support Center Multicultural Family Support Center
    Korean 건강가정지원센터 다문화가족지원센터
    Statute Framework Act on Healthy Families, Article 35 Multicultural Families Support Act, Article 12
    The wording shall establish and operate may establish and operate
    Who the article names No group is named. The article describes family problems and family programs Multicultural families and marriage immigrants

    The last row is the one to notice. Article 35 sets out prevention, counseling and treatment for family problems, programs for keeping a family healthy, and family information — and it attaches no nationality or status to any of it. The other article is written around a defined group.

    So a service offered under the first statute and a service offered under the second can sit in the same building with different doors into them. The counter is where you find out which is which, and the last section of this guide has the words for asking.

    Both statutes also require qualified staff. Article 35 requires a healthy family specialist (건강가정사) with a degree and specified coursework behind it; Article 12 requires personnel with knowledge and experience in the field. Whoever answers at the counter is meant to be trained for the work, which is worth knowing before a difficult conversation.

    What the law puts inside them

    The multicultural side has a list of eight duties written into the statute, and three of them matter more than the rest if you are not a native speaker.

    · Education and counseling programs for multicultural families
    · Korean language education for marriage immigrants and naturalized citizens
    · Information and publicity about support services
    · Connecting families to other organizations that can help
    · Job information and job placement
    · Interpretation and translation support
    · Preventing domestic violence, and connecting victims to support
    · Anything else needed to support multicultural families

    Job placement on that list is easy to miss. A center is not an employment agency, but the statute puts job information and placement among its duties, which makes it a reasonable place to ask.

    The healthy families side is written differently, as a description rather than a list: prevention, counseling and treatment for family problems, programs that keep a family functioning, family culture activities, and family information. Broader wording, and no group attached to it.

    How to find the center near you

    The Danuri portal runs the national directory. It lists 229 centers and lets you narrow by province and then by city or district, or search by what is near you.

    1 Open www.liveinkorea.kr and look for the center finder on the front page.
    2 Choose a province (시/도), then a city or district (시/군/구).
    3 Or use the nearby search, which finds centers around your location.

    If the site is hard to read, the Danuri Call Center on 1577-1366 answers in fifteen languages around the clock and can tell you which center covers your address.

    Related guide
    Free Phone Interpretation in Korea: The Danuri Call Center
    Who the law says 1577-1366 is for, the five services it lists, and the three-way call that puts an interpreter on the line.

    The same organization runs both the call center and this directory, so a phone call and a site search reach the same records.

    Korean lessons, and where else to look

    Korean language education is the second item on the statutory list, so every center that runs multicultural family programs has it somewhere in its schedule. The statute writes the group as marriage immigrants and naturalized citizens.

    That is not the only publicly funded route to Korean lessons. The Social Integration Program (사회통합프로그램, KIIP) is run by the Ministry of Justice at its own network of operating institutions, with its own stages and its own enrollment. Some family centers are themselves KIIP operating institutions, which is why the two can look like one thing from outside.

    Ask which program you are being signed up for
    A center class and a KIIP class are different schemes with different rules. KIIP stages count toward things a family center class does not, so the answer matters before you enroll rather than after.

    Interpretation and translation

    Interpretation and translation support is its own line in the statute, separate from counseling and separate from classes. In practice this is the service that turns a center from a place you visit into a place that helps you deal with everywhere else.

    How it is delivered varies by center, because the statute sets the duty and leaves the method to the operator. Some run it with staff on site, some through the national call center. Ask when you call, and ask in advance if you need someone for an appointment on a fixed date.

    If the center cannot cover your language on the day, the Danuri Call Center runs three-way interpretation in fifteen languages and names community service centers and schools among the places it covers. That is a separate service on a separate number, and it does not need the center’s permission to use.

    What to say at the counter

    A family center counter runs in Korean, and whether an interpreter is on site depends on the center. Show the Korean line on your phone, or read the romanized line aloud.

    어떤 프로그램이 있나요?
    Eo-tteon peu-ro-geu-rae-mi in-na-yo?
    “What programs do you have?”
    Say this first. Each center sets its own schedule.
    한국어교육 신청할 수 있나요?
    Han-gu-geo-gyo-yuk sin-cheong-hal su in-na-yo?
    “Can I apply for Korean language education?”
    한국어교육 is the term the statute uses, so the desk will recognize it.
    통역 지원 받을 수 있나요?
    Tong-yeok ji-won ba-deul su in-na-yo?
    “Can I get interpretation support?”
    Ask early in the conversation, not after you are stuck.
    신청 자격이 어떻게 되나요?
    Sin-cheong ja-gyeo-gi eo-tteo-ke doe-na-yo?
    “What are the eligibility requirements?”
    The question that settles which of the two statutes a program sits under.
    외국인등록증 가져왔습니다.
    Oe-gu-gin-deung-nok-jeung ga-jyeo-wat-seum-ni-da.
    “I have brought my alien registration card.”
    Bring identification to any first visit.

    Frequently asked questions

    Where can foreigners take a Korean language course in Korea?
    Two publicly funded routes exist. Family centers run Korean language education under the Multicultural Families Support Act, written for marriage immigrants and naturalized citizens. The Social Integration Program runs separately under the Ministry of Justice at its own operating institutions. University language institutes and private schools are the paid route.
    Where can I find free Korean classes in Seoul?
    Start with the center finder on the Danuri portal and narrow to your district, then ask that center what it runs and who it is open to. Seoul also has district-level programs that do not appear in a national directory, so the district office is worth a second call.
    I am not married to a Korean. Can I use a family center?
    It depends on the program rather than on the building. Services under the Framework Act on Healthy Families are described without naming a group; services under the Multicultural Families Support Act are written for multicultural families. Ask the counter which statute a program sits under, using the eligibility question above.
    Do all 229 centers offer the same things?
    No. The statute sets duties, and each center builds its own schedule around them within its budget and staffing. That is why the first question at the counter is what programs they have rather than whether they have a particular one.
    Is there a fee?
    Both statutes allow national and local government to fund these centers, in full or in part. Whether an individual program charges anything is set by the center, so ask when you apply.
    Getting help in Korea
    Free Phone Interpretation in Korea: The Danuri Call Center
    Fifteen languages around the clock, and a three-way call that puts an interpreter on the line with the police, a hospital or a bank.
    Calling 112 or 119 in Korea When You Do Not Speak Korean
    Which number covers crime, fire and everything slower, and which line adds an interpreter to the call.
    What 1345 Is in Korea, and How to Get Through Its Menu
    The immigration helpline in 20 languages, the star key that switches the call, and the two menu options that finish a task without an operator.
    Free Legal Advice in Korea: Three Routes and Who Each Is For
    The Village Lawyer scheme, the Danuri lawyer appointment, and the legal aid line on 132 — with the interpretation route for each.
    Family Centers in Korea: Who Can Use Them and What They Offer
    229 centers, two statutes behind them, and the eligibility question that decides which programs are open to you.

    Official sources

    Every figure here comes from the pages below. Programs and schedules are set locally, so confirm with the center itself.

    · Framework Act on Healthy Families (건강가정기본법) · Article 35, healthy family support centers
    · Multicultural Families Support Act (다문화가족지원법) · Article 12, the eight duties
    · Korean Institute for Healthy Family · Danuri portal, center finder and 1577-1366
    Information verified as of September 2026. Each center sets its own programs, schedule and fees within the duties the statutes give it, so confirm with the center that covers your address, or call 1577-1366.
    This site is not affiliated with the Korean government. Always confirm details with the official source.
  • Free Legal Advice in Korea: Three Routes and Who Each Is For

    Free Legal Advice in Korea: Three Routes and Who Each Is For

    A lawyer in Korea costs what a lawyer costs anywhere, which is why three public services exist to answer a legal question before it becomes a case. All three are free. Which one fits you depends on where you live, who you are, and how complicated the problem is.

    One is tied to your district office. One is set up for marriage immigrants and their families. One is a national corporation with a three-digit number. None of them will take your case to court on the phone, and all three will tell you what the law says about it.

    This guide covers what each route is, who it is written for, and how a person who does not speak Korean reaches it.

    What this guide covers
    01 Three routes, and who each one is for
    02 What the Village Lawyer scheme is
    03 How to reach a village lawyer in your language
    04 The Danuri lawyer consultation
    05 The legal aid line on 132
    06 What these lines will not take
    07 Frequently asked questions

    Three routes, and who each one is for

    Services verified September 2026 · Ministry of Justice · Korean Institute for Healthy Family · Korea Legal Aid Corporation

    The three run on different logic. One is geographic, one is defined by who you are, and one is open by phone to anyone who dials it.

    Three free routes to a lawyer
    All three are public services · none of them charge for the consultation
    Route Who it is for When
    Village Lawyer
    마을변호사    		 Residents of an eup, myeon or dong that has a lawyer assigned Set by the individual lawyer
    Danuri consultation
    1577-1366    		 Marriage immigrants and multicultural families Tuesdays only, 14:00 to 16:00. Book ahead
    Legal Aid Corporation
    132    		 Anyone who dials the number Weekdays 09:00–11:50 and 13:00–17:50

    The middle row is the narrowest and the most generous at the same time. Two hours a week is not much, but the appointment comes with interpretation built in, which neither of the others guarantees.

    What the Village Lawyer scheme is

    The Ministry of Justice describes it as a scheme for places where meeting a lawyer is difficult. A lawyer is assigned to an eup, myeon or dong (읍·면·동), the smallest administrative districts in Korea, and residents of that district can consult them. It is geography that decides access here, not income or status.

    These lawyers are not full-time staff. Remote consultation is the default, and the ministry lists three ways it happens.

    · By phone. Get the lawyer’s contact details from the district office, the local bar association or the ministry, then call them.
    · By fax or email. Fill in the consultation card (마을변호사 상담카드) kept at the district office, send it, and the lawyer reviews it and replies.
    · In person. Sometimes the lawyer visits the district. Whether that happens depends on numbers and on the lawyer’s schedule, so ask the district office.

    Whether your district has one at all is a question with a published answer. The ministry keeps a file of assignments by region in the scheme’s document room, updated from time to time — the current version is dated 12 August 2026.

    How to reach a village lawyer in your language

    The scheme above runs in Korean. There is a separate route for foreign residents, and it goes through the immigration helpline rather than through the district office.

    1 Dial 1345, press the number for your language, then the ＊ key.
    2 Press 4 for the Village Lawyer scheme.
    3 The center provides three-way interpretation for the consultation itself.

    That last step is the reason this route exists. The Ministry of Justice lists interpretation support for the Village Lawyer scheme as one of the three things the 1345 center does, alongside general guidance and interpretation with government offices. The line runs weekdays 09:00 to 22:00, in Korean, English and Chinese only after 18:00.

    Some city helplines carry the same service on their own menus. In Ansan, the multilingual counseling line on 1644-7111 also puts Village Lawyer questions on option 4, which is a shorter route if you live there.

    Related guide
    What 1345 Is in Korea, and How to Get Through Its Menu
    The full ARS menu, the star key that switches the call into your language, and the two options that finish a task without an operator.

    The menu is worth learning once, because the same number carries several services that are otherwise hard to reach.

    The Danuri lawyer consultation

    The Danuri Call Center runs legal consultations through the Korean Bar Association (대한변호사협회). It is the narrowest window of the three and the only one where interpretation is part of the design rather than an add-on.

    Two hours a week, by appointment
    Tuesdays, 14:00 to 16:00, once a week. Book in advance on 1577-1366. The language you book in is the language the consultation runs in, because the center’s own counselors interpret.

    The center was set up under the Multicultural Families Support Act to serve marriage immigrants and their families, so this route fits that group and not everyone else. If a Tuesday afternoon does not work, the same number takes questions around the clock for everything that is not the lawyer appointment.

    The legal aid line on 132

    The Korea Legal Aid Corporation (대한법률구조공단) runs a national counseling line. Dial 132 with no area code, or 82-54-132 from outside Korea. The call is charged to the corporation rather than to you.

    132, at a glance
    Korea Legal Aid Corporation · 대한법률구조공단
    Item Detail
    Hours Weekdays 09:00 to 11:50, then 13:00 to 17:50. Closed over lunch
    From abroad 82-54-132
    Scope Simple matters by phone. A complicated case belongs at an office in person
    Busiest Monday and Tuesday mornings, by the corporation’s own note

    The same number also carries recorded legal information through its own menu, which is available whenever the line is open. That covers general questions without waiting for a counselor.

    The corporation adds a caution worth repeating: what you hear on the phone is the counselor’s own view, offered as a reference. For anything that turns on documents or dates, the in-person route exists for a reason.

    What these lines will not take

    The Legal Aid Corporation publishes the limits, and they are worth reading before you dial.

    · Appeals against a decision already made by an administrative body or a court
    · Questions about evading enforcement or tax
    · Requests for an authoritative reading of a statute or of an organization’s internal rules
    · Internal disputes inside an organization

    Some subjects belong to a different body altogether, and the corporation names four of them with their numbers.

    Subject Where Number
    Tax National Tax Service (국세청) 126
    Consumer problems Consumer Counseling Center (소비자상담센터) 1372
    Employment, including unemployment benefit Ministry of Employment and Labor (고용노동부) 1350
    Financial disputes Financial Supervisory Service (금융감독원) 1332

    Unpaid wages sit with the labor ministry on 1350 rather than with a lawyer, which surprises people who assume a wage problem is a legal problem first.

    Frequently asked questions

    How much does a lawyer cost in Korea?
    A private lawyer sets their own fee. The three routes in this guide charge nothing for the consultation: the Village Lawyer scheme, the Danuri lawyer appointment on 1577-1366, and the Legal Aid Corporation on 132. They are consultations rather than representation, so a fee question returns once a case goes further.
    Where can I get a free consultation from a lawyer?
    Start with where you live and who you are. If your district has a village lawyer, that route is the most local. If you are a marriage immigrant, the Tuesday appointment on 1577-1366 comes with interpretation. Otherwise 132 answers on weekdays, and 1345 can interpret for the village lawyer route.
    Does my district have a village lawyer?
    The ministry publishes an assignment list by region in the scheme’s document room, dated 12 August 2026 in its current version. The district office can also tell you, and so can 1345 on menu option 4.
    Can a free consultation take my case to court?
    No. These are consultations. The Legal Aid Corporation runs a separate litigation support scheme with its own eligibility rules, and that is a different application from a phone call.
    My problem is unpaid wages. Which number?
    The Ministry of Employment and Labor on 1350, which the Legal Aid Corporation itself names for employment matters. Some cities also run their own helplines that take wage questions directly.
    Getting help in Korea
    Free Phone Interpretation in Korea: The Danuri Call Center
    Fifteen languages around the clock, and a three-way call that puts an interpreter on the line with the police, a hospital or a bank.
    Calling 112 or 119 in Korea When You Do Not Speak Korean
    Which number covers crime, fire and everything slower, and which line adds an interpreter to the call.
    What 1345 Is in Korea, and How to Get Through Its Menu
    The immigration helpline in 20 languages, the star key that switches the call, and the two menu options that finish a task without an operator.
    Free Legal Advice in Korea: Three Routes and Who Each Is For
    The Village Lawyer scheme, the Danuri lawyer appointment, and the legal aid line on 132 — with the interpretation route for each.
    Family Centers in Korea: Who Can Use Them and What They Offer
    229 centers, two statutes behind them, and the eligibility question that decides which programs are open to you.

    Official sources

    Every figure here comes from the pages below. Schedules and assignments change, so open the page before you rely on it.

    · Korea Immigration Service · 1345, including Village Lawyer interpretation
    · Korean Institute for Healthy Family · Danuri Call Center, lawyer consultation
    · Korea Legal Aid Corporation · 132 counseling line, hours and limits
    Information verified as of September 2026. This guide describes how to reach a free consultation. It is not legal advice, and no page here can tell you what to do about your own case. Confirm the details with the official source before you call.
    This site is not affiliated with the Korean government. Always confirm details with the official source.
  • What 1345 Is in Korea, and How to Get Through Its Menu

    What 1345 Is in Korea, and How to Get Through Its Menu

    Most guides tell you to dial 1345 and stop there. Then you call, an automated voice answers in Korean, you press the number for your language, and nothing happens.

    The step nobody writes down is this: after the language number, press the star key. The Ministry of Justice page says it plainly — press the number for the language you want, then the ＊ button, and the call continues in that language. Without it you are still inside a Korean menu.

    That menu is worth knowing for its own sake. Two of its options finish a task without an operator at all. This guide covers who the line is for, how to get through it, what each option does, and where its interpretation service stops.

    What this guide covers
    01 Who can call this line
    02 What the center is there to do
    03 How to reach an operator in your language
    04 What each ARS number does
    05 When to call, and which languages stay at night
    06 Three-way interpretation, and where it applies
    07 Frequently asked questions

    Who can call this line

    Rules verified September 2026 · Framework Act on Treatment of Foreigners Residing in the Republic of Korea Article 20 · Enforcement Decree Article 16

    The Immigration Contact Center (외국인종합안내센터) exists because a statute tells the Minister of Justice he may set one up. Article 20 (2) names two groups, and the Enforcement Decree defines the second one.

    Who the statute names
    Article 20 (2), read with Enforcement Decree Article 16
    Source Who
    Act, Article 20 (2) Foreign residents (재한외국인), and others set by Presidential Decree
    Decree, Article 16 Those others are foreigners staying in the Republic of Korea

    The second row widens the first. The Act defines a foreign resident as a person without Korean nationality who is staying here lawfully with the intention of residing, which is a narrower group than everyone who happens to be in the country. The Decree then adds foreigners staying in Korea, without that condition attached.

    That difference is what separates this line from the Danuri Call Center, which a different statute set up for marriage immigrants and multicultural families. If you are in Korea on a student visa, a work visa or a posting, 1345 is the line written for you.

    What the center is there to do

    The ministry lists three jobs, and only the first is what most people expect from a helpline.

    · Immigration and daily-life guidance for foreigners staying in Korea.
    · Three-way interpretation for central government bodies, local governments, public institutions and non-profit private bodies handling foreigner-related work.
    · Three-way interpretation for the Village Lawyer scheme (마을변호사), the free legal advice program for foreigners.

    The center itself is run under contract. The ministry publishes the arrangement openly: the current contract runs from 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2026, and the operator is KTcs. The legal basis for contracting it out was added to the Act in October 2023.

    One more thing sits in the same article, and it is easy to overlook. Article 20 (1) allows the head of a public institution to assign a staff member whose job is to guide foreign residents through civil procedures, and to have that person trained for it. It is permissive rather than mandatory, so whether such a person exists depends on the office. Still, asking at the counter whether someone handles foreigner cases is a reasonable question, and the statute is why.

    How to reach an operator in your language

    Three steps, and the third is the one that gets missed.

    1 Dial 1345. No area code, from a landline or a mobile, anywhere in Korea.
    2 Follow the automated menu and press the number for your language.
    3 Press the ＊ key. The call then continues in that language.

    From outside Korea, dial +82-2-1345. The menu works the same way.

    If you only want a person
    Press 0 for an operator. That skips the self-service options but not the language step, so the star key still matters.

    Either way, press your language number and then the star key, so have both ready before you dial.

    What each ARS number does

    Five options, and two of them finish a task by themselves. Knowing which is which saves the wait for an operator.

    The 1345 menu
    As listed by the Korea Immigration Service
    Press What it gives you
    1 Where immigration offices are, which districts each one covers, and their opening hours
    2 The result of a certificate of visa eligibility application (사증발급인정)
    3 Reporting that a foreign employee has left a job, and fax reporting of a workplace change for working visit (H-2) holders
    4 Questions about the Village Lawyer scheme
    0 An operator

    Option 2 is the quiet one. A visa result check that would otherwise mean a call queue or a trip to an office runs through the menu instead. Option 3 covers a reporting duty that falls on employers as much as on workers.

    When to call, and which languages stay at night

    Weekdays, 09:00 to 22:00. It does not open on Saturday or Sunday. That is a longer day than most public offices, and the reason the line is useful after work — with one condition.

    After 18:00, three languages
    The evening service runs in Korean, English and Chinese only. The other seventeen languages are daytime only, so a call at 20:00 in Vietnamese or Nepali will not reach an operator in that language.

    Twenty languages are listed for daytime service.

    Twenty languages
    Three of them are listed by country name on the ministry page
    Available Languages
    All opening hours Korean, English, Chinese
    Until 18:00 only Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, Mongolian, Indonesian, French, Russian, Nepali, Khmer, Burmese, German, Spanish, Filipino, Arabic, and three the page names by country: 방글라데시어 (Bangladesh), 파키스탄어 (Pakistan), 스리랑카어 (Sri Lanka)

    If your language is in the second row, plan the call for the working day. If it is not on the list at all, the Danuri Call Center carries a different set of fifteen around the clock.

    Related guide
    Calling 112 or 119 in Korea When You Do Not Speak Korean
    Which number covers crime, fire and everything slower, and which line adds an interpreter to the call.

    Outside office hours the choice between the two national lines is made for you, so it is worth knowing both before you need either.

    Three-way interpretation, and where it applies

    The interpretation service adds an interpreter to a call between you and an institution. The Enforcement Decree describes it as interpretation and translation support for foreigner-related civil matters at administrative and public bodies, and the ministry names the bodies.

    · Central government bodies · local governments · public institutions · non-profit private bodies
    · The Village Lawyer scheme, listed separately

    That list is narrower than it first looks. A hospital, a bank or a landlord is not on it. The Danuri line names hospitals, banks, schools and community service centers in its own list, so the two services cover different ground rather than duplicating each other.

    The Decree also mentions translation alongside interpretation, which is a different service from putting an interpreter on a call. What that covers in practice is set by the contract rather than by the statute, so ask on the line what is available for a document rather than a conversation.

    Frequently asked questions

    What is 1345 in Korea?
    The Immigration Contact Center, run by the Ministry of Justice under Article 20 of the Framework Act on Treatment of Foreigners Residing in the Republic of Korea. It answers immigration and daily-life questions for foreigners staying in Korea, and it provides three-way interpretation with government and public bodies. Twenty languages, weekdays 09:00 to 22:00.
    What are the hours of operation for the 1345 immigration Contact Center in Korea?
    Weekdays 09:00 to 22:00, closed at weekends. After 18:00 the service continues in Korean, English and Chinese only. The ARS menu options are available whenever the line is open.
    I pressed my language number and nothing changed. What now?
    Press the ＊ key after the language number. The ministry page gives that as the step that switches the call into your language. If you are calling after 18:00 and your language is not Korean, English or Chinese, the evening service does not carry it.
    Can I call 1345 from outside Korea?
    Yes. Dial +82-2-1345. That is useful before you arrive, when a visa result or an office location is the thing you need and there is no Korean phone number yet.
    1345 or 1577-1366?
    1345 for visas, residence and registration, and for interpretation with a government office. 1577-1366 outside office hours, at weekends, or for hospitals and banks, which are on its list and not on the 1345 list. The Danuri line was set up for marriage immigrants and multicultural families, so which line fits also depends on who you are.
    Getting help in Korea
    Free Phone Interpretation in Korea: The Danuri Call Center
    Fifteen languages around the clock, and a three-way call that puts an interpreter on the line with the police, a hospital or a bank.
    Calling 112 or 119 in Korea When You Do Not Speak Korean
    Which number covers crime, fire and everything slower, and which line adds an interpreter to the call.
    What 1345 Is in Korea, and How to Get Through Its Menu
    The immigration helpline in 20 languages, the star key that switches the call, and the two menu options that finish a task without an operator.
    Free Legal Advice in Korea: Three Routes and Who Each Is For
    The Village Lawyer scheme, the Danuri lawyer appointment, and the legal aid line on 132 — with the interpretation route for each.
    Family Centers in Korea: Who Can Use Them and What They Offer
    229 centers, two statutes behind them, and the eligibility question that decides which programs are open to you.

    Official sources

    Every figure here comes from the pages below. Menus and operating hours change, so open the page before you rely on it.

    · Korea Immigration Service, Ministry of Justice · Immigration Contact Center (1345), service page
    · Framework Act on Treatment of Foreigners Residing in the Republic of Korea (재한외국인 처우 기본법) · Article 20
    · Enforcement Decree of the same Act (시행령) · Articles 16 and 17
    · Korean Institute for Healthy Family · Danuri Call Center, for the comparison
    Information verified as of September 2026. The center is run under a contract that ends on 31 December 2026, and menus or hours may change after that. Confirm the details with the official source, or ask on 1345.
    This site is not affiliated with the Korean government. Always confirm details with the official source.
  • Calling 112 or 119 in Korea When You Do Not Speak Korean

    Calling 112 or 119 in Korea When You Do Not Speak Korean

    An emergency number is easy to memorize. Speaking Korean into it while your hands shake is a different problem, and it is the one that actually stops people from calling.

    There is a documented route around it. The Danuri Call Center on 1577-1366 runs a three-way interpretation service, and its published list of settings names the police and emergency services first. You call, ask for interpretation, and the counselor stays on the line and translates between you and the person you need to reach. It runs 365 days a year, around the clock, in fifteen languages.

    This guide covers which number handles what, how a three-way call works, which lines have that service in writing, and what to do in the hours when one of them is closed.

    What this guide covers
    01 Which number covers what
    02 What a three-way interpretation call is
    03 Which lines have interpretation in writing
    04 When one of those lines is closed
    05 Where else the same service works
    06 If it is not an emergency
    07 Frequently asked questions

    Which number covers what

    Numbers verified September 2026 · Danuri portal, run by the Korean Institute for Healthy Family

    Korea splits its emergency numbers by the kind of trouble, not by who is calling. The Danuri portal lists them together on its local center pages, and that list is short.

    The numbers, and what each one is for
    As listed on the Danuri portal · no area code needed
    Number What it covers
    112 Reporting a crime (범죄신고)
    119 Fire, a medical emergency, emergency treatment, hospital information (긴급구조)
    1577-1366 Danuri Call Center. Interpretation, counseling, urgent support. 24 hours
    1345 Immigration Contact Center. Visas, residence, registration
    129 Health and Welfare Call Center

    Two of those five are staffed to work across languages as their main job. The other three are not language services — they are the police, the fire service and a ministry helpline. That difference is what the rest of this guide is about.

    None of the five need an area code, and none of them charge for the service itself. You pay whatever your own phone plan charges for the call.

    What a three-way interpretation call is

    Three people on one call: you, the person you need to talk to, and an interpreter who stays on the line and translates in both directions.

    It is not a translation app, and it is not a promise that the emergency number itself will find someone who speaks your language. It is a separate service you add to the call yourself, from a line whose job is interpretation.

    1 Call the interpretation line and say which language you need.
    2 Say who you need to reach, and what is happening.
    3 The counselor connects the third party and translates between you.

    In a life-threatening emergency, dial 119 or 112 first. Those are the numbers that dispatch an ambulance or a patrol car. The interpretation line adds language to a call; it does not send help by itself.

    When nothing is on fire and nobody is hurt, the same center takes questions three other ways: a one-to-one counseling room on its portal, a counselor who comes to you at an agreed time, and an appointment at the center itself. Those routes suit a problem you can plan around, such as a form you cannot read or a meeting you have to attend next week.

    Which lines have interpretation in writing

    Two national services publish a three-way interpretation service. They differ in hours and in how many languages stay available at night.

    Two interpretation lines, side by side
    Both are public services, and both are free to use
    1577-1366 1345
    Run by Korean Institute for Healthy Family Ministry of Justice
    Hours 24 hours, 365 days Weekdays 09:00 to 22:00. Closed at weekends
    Languages 15, all of them at any hour 20 during the day. Korean, English and Chinese only after 18:00
    Three-way call with Police, emergency services, hospitals, community service centers, schools, banks Government bodies dealing with foreign residents
    Set up for Marriage immigrants and multicultural families Foreign residents generally

    The last row matters as much as the first. The Danuri line was set up under the Multicultural Families Support Act to serve marriage immigrants and their families, so it is the stronger option for that group and the weaker one for everyone else. The immigration line has no such framing but keeps office hours.

    Neither line replaces the other. One covers more of the week, the other covers more of the population, and the two together leave fewer hours uncovered than either does alone.

    When one of those lines is closed

    Read the two schedules together and a gap appears. The immigration line stops at 22:00, closes on Saturday and Sunday, and drops to three languages after 18:00 on the days it does open.

    The evening gap
    If you speak Vietnamese, Uzbek, Nepali, Thai or Khmer, a call to 1345 after 18:00 will not reach an interpreter in your language. 1577-1366 keeps all fifteen of its languages through the night.

    There is one condition on the 24-hour line. The center runs seven regional offices, and outside Seoul, calls placed after 18:00 route automatically to the main line rather than to the local office. The number you dial does not change.

    Where else the same service works

    The published list of settings for three-way interpretation goes well past emergencies, which makes 1577-1366 useful on an ordinary weekday too.

    · Police (경찰) · emergency services (응급) · hospitals (병원)
    · Community service centers (주민센터) · schools and education bodies (교육기관) · banks (은행)

    A community service center visit or a bank appointment is not an emergency, but it is often where a language gap costs the most time. The same number covers both.

    Interpretation is also not the only thing that line does. Its published services include general living information — guidance on residence, nationality, law, labor and finding work — along with family and couple counseling, and legal consultation through the Korean Bar Association. So a call that starts with a translation problem can end with an answer to the question underneath it.

    Related guide
    Free Phone Interpretation in Korea: The Danuri Call Center
    Who the law says 1577-1366 is for, the five services it lists, and the lawyer consultation that runs on Tuesday afternoons.

    Knowing whether the line was built for your situation changes how you use it, so that guide is worth reading before you need the number.

    If it is not an emergency

    Three services cover the slower problems, and none of them need a crisis to justify the call.

    For everything that can wait until morning
    Ministry helplines and local centers
    Where For
    129
    Health and Welfare Call Center    		 Health and welfare services, including questions about health center paperwork
    1566-3232
    Public health portal    		 Online issue of health center certificates. Weekdays 09:00 to 18:00
    Family centers
    가족센터    		 229 centers nationwide. Classes, childcare, translation help, in-person support

    Cities with large foreign populations often run their own helplines as well, and those take subjects the national lines will not, such as unpaid wages or a dispute at work.

    Frequently asked questions

    Is 112 the Korean emergency number?
    112 is the number for reporting a crime. For a fire, a medical emergency or an ambulance, the number is 119. Korea splits the two rather than using one line for everything, so the choice depends on what is happening.
    What does the number 119 mean in Korea?
    It is the emergency rescue line. The Danuri portal lists it for fire, a medical emergency, emergency treatment and hospital information. Dial it with no area code, from any phone.
    What is 1345 in Korea?
    The Immigration Contact Center, run by the Ministry of Justice. It answers questions about visas, residence permits and registration, and it provides three-way interpretation with government bodies. Weekdays 09:00 to 22:00, in Korean, English and Chinese only after 18:00. Dial +82-2-1345 from outside Korea.
    Which number should I dial first in an emergency?
    119 for fire or a medical emergency, 112 for a crime. Those are the lines that send help. Use 1577-1366 to add an interpreter to the call, not in place of it.
    What if the Danuri line was not set up for my situation?
    The center does not publish its own eligibility wording, so ask when you call rather than assuming either way. For residence and visa matters, 1345 carries interpretation and is open to foreign residents generally. A city helpline, where one exists, is the third route.
    Getting help in Korea
    Free Phone Interpretation in Korea: The Danuri Call Center
    Fifteen languages around the clock, and a three-way call that puts an interpreter on the line with the police, a hospital or a bank.
    Calling 112 or 119 in Korea When You Do Not Speak Korean
    Which number covers crime, fire and everything slower, and which line adds an interpreter to the call.
    What 1345 Is in Korea, and How to Get Through Its Menu
    The immigration helpline in 20 languages, the star key that switches the call, and the two menu options that finish a task without an operator.
    Free Legal Advice in Korea: Three Routes and Who Each Is For
    The Village Lawyer scheme, the Danuri lawyer appointment, and the legal aid line on 132 — with the interpretation route for each.
    Family Centers in Korea: Who Can Use Them and What They Offer
    229 centers, two statutes behind them, and the eligibility question that decides which programs are open to you.

    Official sources

    Every figure here comes from the pages below. Services and hours change, so open the page before you rely on it.

    · Korean Institute for Healthy Family, Danuri portal · Danuri Call Center, service page · emergency numbers and family center finder
    · Multicultural Families Support Act (다문화가족지원법) · Article 11-2, the call center
    · Framework Act on Treatment of Foreigners Residing in the Republic of Korea (재한외국인 처우 기본법) · Article 20, the immigration contact center
    Information verified as of September 2026. Services and opening hours change often. Confirm the details with the official source before you rely on them. In an emergency, dial 119 or 112 first.
    This site is not affiliated with the Korean government. Always confirm details with the official source.
  • Free Phone Interpretation in Korea: The Danuri Call Center

    Free Phone Interpretation in Korea: The Danuri Call Center

    One Korean helpline never closes. Dial 1577-1366 and someone answers at three in the morning, on a Sunday, on a public holiday, in fifteen languages. But whether it is the right number for you depends on who you are, and the law is specific about that.

    The Danuri Call Center (다누리콜센터) was set up under Article 11-2 of the Multicultural Families Support Act. The law says the ministry runs it to provide multilingual counseling and interpretation to marriage immigrants and their families. A marriage immigrant, in Korean law, is a foreign resident who is married to a Korean national — or who has been married to one. A divorce does not remove you from that definition.

    If that describes you, this line does far more than answer questions. If it does not, the last section points you to the number that fits.

    What this guide covers
    01 Who the line is for
    02 What the center actually does
    03 How the three-way call works
    04 When you can call, and in which language
    05 Talking to a lawyer
    06 Other ways to reach them
    07 If this line is not for you
    08 Frequently asked questions

    Who the line is for

    Rules verified September 2026 · Multicultural Families Support Act Articles 2 and 11-2 · Framework Act on Treatment of Foreigners Residing in the Republic of Korea Article 2

    Two laws set the terms between them. One defines who a marriage immigrant is, and the other says the call center exists to serve that group.

    The two definitions
    As written in the statutes, not as summarized by an agency
    Term Definition
    Marriage immigrant
    결혼이민자    		 A foreign resident who has been married to, or is married to, a Korean national
    Multicultural family
    다문화가족    		 A family made up of a marriage immigrant, or a naturalized citizen, together with a Korean national
    Marriage immigrants and others
    결혼이민자등    		 A member of a multicultural family who is either a marriage immigrant, or a person granted naturalization under Article 4 of the Nationality Act

    The phrase to notice is in the first row. The statute reads has been married to, or is married to. That wording covers people whose marriage has ended, which matters because leaving a marriage is often the moment a person needs an interpreter most.

    What the center actually does

    The published service list has five parts, and only one of them is what most people picture when they hear the word helpline.

    · Emergency support after violence. An emergency shelter that accepts women with children, referral to protection facilities for victims of domestic violence, sexual violence or prostitution, and connection to medical, legal, prosecution and police services. Follow-up afterwards.
    · Living information. Support programs, Korean language classes, help for children, and guidance on residence, nationality, law, labor and finding work.
    · Interpretation, including three-way calls. Covered in detail below.
    · Family and couple counseling. For conflict inside the family, with emotional support and interpretation provided.
    · Lawyer consultation. Through the Korean Bar Association. Covered below.

    The first item is the reason the law allows this center to be run together with the emergency line for victims of domestic violence. Article 11-2 says so directly.

    How the three-way call works

    This is the part of the service that rarely appears in English, and it is the part that solves a problem money cannot.

    You are at a police station, or in an emergency room, and nobody there speaks your language. You call 1577-1366 and ask for interpretation. The counselor stays on the line while you speak to the person in front of you, and translates between you. The published list names six places where this is offered.

    · Police (경찰) · emergency services (응급) · hospitals (병원)
    · Community service centers (주민센터) · schools and education bodies (교육기관) · banks (은행)

    The same service covers communication inside the family, which is listed separately from the six settings above. Both run on the main number, around the clock.

    When you can call, and in which language

    365 days a year, 24 hours a day. There is one condition attached to that, and it is easy to miss.

    Outside Seoul, evenings route differently
    The center lists seven regional offices: Seoul (Hapjeong), Suwon, Daejeon, Gwangju, Busan, Gumi and Jeonju. All seven answer on the same number, 1577-1366. Outside Seoul, calls placed after 18:00 are routed automatically to the main line.

    The line is answered by counselors who specialize in support for migrant women, working in fifteen languages.

    Fifteen languages, all hours
    1577-1366 · no change of language list at night
    Group Languages
    East and Southeast Asia Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Khmer, Thai, Lao, Indonesian
    Central and South Asia Mongolian, Uzbek, Nepali
    Other English, Russian, Arabic

    Fifteen languages at three in the morning is unusual. The immigration line, 1345, carries more languages during the day but drops to Korean, English and Chinese after 18:00, and closes at weekends. That difference is the practical reason to know both numbers.

    Talking to a lawyer

    The center runs legal consultations through the Korean Bar Association (대한변호사협회). The schedule is narrow, so it needs planning rather than a call in the moment.

    · Tuesdays, 14:00 to 16:00. Once a week.
    · By advance booking. Arrange it on 1577-1366 before the day.

    Interpretation runs through the same center, so the language you booked in is the language the consultation happens in.

    Other ways to reach them

    The phone is the fastest route, and three others exist.

    · Online. The one-to-one counseling room on the Danuri portal, www.liveinkorea.kr.
    · A counselor comes to you. Arranged by agreeing a time with the center.
    · You go to them. In person at the center, by appointment.

    For classes, childcare and ongoing family services rather than an urgent problem, a family center is usually the better first stop. The Danuri portal lists 229 family centers (가족센터) across the country, searchable by province and district.

    Related guide
    Ansan Multilingual Helpline: 14 Languages and Sunday Hours
    A city line in Ansan that takes work problems in 14 languages and opens on Sundays, set against the two national numbers.

    Cities with large foreign populations often run their own lines, and those cover subjects the national services do not.

    If this line is not for you

    The law built this center around marriage immigrants and multicultural families. Students, workers on employment visas, posted staff and their families fall outside that description, and other services exist for them.

    Where to call instead
    Both are free, and both work through interpreters
    Service When Best for
    1345
    Immigration Contact Center    		 Weekdays 09:00 to 22:00. Korean, English and Chinese only after 18:00. Closed at weekends Visas, residence permits, registration, office locations
    Family centers
    가족센터, 229 nationwide    		 Each center sets its own hours Classes, childcare, translation help, ongoing support in person

    City-run helplines are the third option, and they often take the questions the national lines will not, such as unpaid wages or a dispute at work. Which cities run one depends on where you live.

    Frequently asked questions

    What is the emergency hotline number in Korea for foreigners?
    For a crime call 112 and for fire or an ambulance call 119. For help in your own language at any hour, 1577-1366 is the line that never closes, and it provides three-way interpretation with the police or an emergency room. For immigration questions, 1345 runs on weekdays.
    What is 1345 in Korea?
    The Immigration Contact Center, run by the Ministry of Justice. It answers questions about visas, residence permits and registration, and it also provides three-way interpretation with government bodies. Weekdays 09:00 to 22:00, in Korean, English and Chinese only after 18:00.
    I am divorced from my Korean spouse. Can I still call?
    The statutory definition of a marriage immigrant covers a foreign resident who has been married to a Korean national, in the past tense, as well as one who currently is. The center does not publish its own eligibility wording, so if your situation is unusual, ask when you call rather than assuming either way.
    Is the call free?
    The counseling and the interpretation are a public service, funded under the Multicultural Families Support Act. You pay only what your own phone plan charges for the call itself.
    Which number covers a public holiday?
    1577-1366 runs 365 days a year, holidays included. The immigration line 1345 does not open at weekends. Outside Seoul, evening calls to 1577-1366 route to the main line rather than to the regional office.
    Getting help in Korea
    Free Phone Interpretation in Korea: The Danuri Call Center
    Fifteen languages around the clock, and a three-way call that puts an interpreter on the line with the police, a hospital or a bank.
    Calling 112 or 119 in Korea When You Do Not Speak Korean
    Which number covers crime, fire and everything slower, and which line adds an interpreter to the call.
    What 1345 Is in Korea, and How to Get Through Its Menu
    The immigration helpline in 20 languages, the star key that switches the call, and the two menu options that finish a task without an operator.
    Free Legal Advice in Korea: Three Routes and Who Each Is For
    The Village Lawyer scheme, the Danuri lawyer appointment, and the legal aid line on 132 — with the interpretation route for each.
    Family Centers in Korea: Who Can Use Them and What They Offer
    229 centers, two statutes behind them, and the eligibility question that decides which programs are open to you.

    Official sources

    Every figure here comes from the pages below. Services and hours change, so open the page before you rely on it.

    · Multicultural Families Support Act (다문화가족지원법) · full text, Articles 2 and 11-2
    · Framework Act on Treatment of Foreigners Residing in the Republic of Korea (재한외국인 처우 기본법) · Article 2, definitions
    · Korean Institute for Healthy Family (한국건강가정진흥원) · Danuri Call Center, service page · family center finder
    · Ministry of Gender Equality and Family (성평등가족부) · English site
    Information verified as of September 2026. Services and opening hours change often. Confirm the details with the official source, or ask when you call 1577-1366. For visa and residence questions, the Immigration Contact Center is on 1345.
    This site is not affiliated with the Korean government. Always confirm details with the official source.
  • Health Insurance Dependents in Korea: Who Qualifies, and When

    Health Insurance Dependents in Korea: Who Qualifies, and When

    Your spouse can be covered under your insurance without paying a contribution of their own, but not from the day they land. Foreign residents have to have been in Korea six months first, and there is a separate 90-day deadline that decides whether the cover is backdated or starts the day you apply.

    Neither of those appears in the English guidance. Both are written into the Enforcement Decree and the Ministry notice, in Korean, and missing the 90-day one costs money rather than paperwork. Here is who qualifies, from what date, and what your home country has to certify.

    What this guide covers
    01 Who can be a dependent
    02 The six-month wait, and who skips it
    03 The 90-day deadline that sets your start date
    04 The income and property limits
    05 The documents from your home country
    06 What to say at the counter

    Who can be a dependent

    This route exists only under an employee insured person. If nobody in your household is on a Korean payroll, there is no dependent to be, and the family joins as locally insured instead.

    The Act lists four relationships, and no others.

    · The spouse of the employee insured person
    · Direct ascendants — parents and grandparents, including the spouse’s
    · Direct descendants — children and grandchildren, including the spouse’s, and their spouses
    · Siblings

    A partner you are not married to is not on this list, however long you have lived together. Nor is a friend, a housemate, or a cousin. Each person also has to clear the income and property limits further down, and siblings have a tighter property limit than everyone else.

    The six-month wait, and who skips it

    Verified September 2026 · Ministry of Health and Welfare Notice 2025-69, Article 5

    A Korean national becomes a dependent as soon as the relationship and the limits are satisfied. A foreign resident has one more condition on top, and it is the one that surprises couples who move together.

    Six months in Korea
    The same residence requirement that applies to locally insured people applies here. Trips abroad totalling 30 days or less inside those six months still count as time in Korea.

    Two cases skip the wait entirely.

    · A baby born in Korea to a parent who was already insured — covered from the day of birth.
    · A student at a designated school — covered from the enrolment date.

    Everyone else waits. A spouse who arrives in March is not a dependent until September, and any medical care before that is paid at full price unless they are insured some other way.

    The 90-day deadline that sets your start date

    Verified September 2026 · Enforcement Decree of the National Health Insurance Act, Article 76-3

    This is the part that costs money when it is missed, and it is not in any English summary we could find. Once the six months are behind you, when you apply decides where the cover starts from.

    When you apply Cover starts from
    Within 90 days of foreign resident registration The registration date, backdated
    More than 90 days after registration The day you apply. Nothing before it
    Only the six-month condition is outstanding The day the six months are complete

    The same 90-day clock runs from the date the family member joined a Korean payroll, if that happened after the registration. Apply within 90 days of that and the cover is backdated to it.

    What the gap actually costs
    Nothing, if nobody was ill. But a hospital visit inside the uncovered gap is billed at full price and is not reimbursed later, because the cover did not exist on that date. Filing early is free. Filing late is not reversible.

    So count 90 days from the registration date, or from the payroll start date if that came later, and apply for your family member before that day.

    The income and property limits

    Verified September 2026 · Enforcement Rule of the National Health Insurance Act, Attached Table 1-2, amended 23 April 2025

    A dependent has to be supported rather than independently funded, and the rule puts numbers on that. Both the income test and the property test have to be satisfied.

    Test Limit
    Income Total annual income of 20 million KRW or less
    Business income None. With no business registration it is treated as none where it stays under 5 million KRW a year
    Property Property tax base of 540 million KRW or less. Between that and 900 million, income also has to stay under 10 million a year
    Siblings Property tax base of 180 million KRW or less
    If the dependent is married, both spouses are tested
    A married person has to satisfy the income conditions, and so does their spouse. Adding a married daughter to your cover means her husband’s income is examined as well, which is easy to miss because it is one line at the end of the table.

    Property is measured on the property tax base rather than the market price, and that figure is well below what a home sells for. Income and property abroad are assessed on what can be documented, so ask NHIS about your own case rather than assuming either way.

    The documents from your home country

    Verified September 2026 · Ministry of Health and Welfare Notice 2025-69, Article 5

    Korea has a family relations register for its own nationals, and NHIS reads it directly. There is no equivalent for a foreign family, so the relationship has to be proved on paper, and the paper has to be certified.

    What the notice requires
    1 A document showing the family relationship, or the marriage or divorce, issued in your home country
    2 Certification of that document — by a foreign ministry, by apostille, or by a body NHIS recognises
    3 A Korean translation by a notary or by a certified translation agent. Your own translation is not accepted

    Start this before you need it. An apostille is issued in the country that produced the document, which usually means asking someone at home or paying an agency, and it is the step that turns a one-visit errand into a month.

    Bring each person’s Alien Registration Card as well, and the employee insured person’s own identification.

    What to say at the counter

    Five sentences for an NHIS branch or foreigner service center. Show the screen if it is easier than speaking.

    피부양자 신청하러 왔습니다.
    Pi-bu-yang-ja sin-cheong-ha-reo wat-seum-ni-da.
    “I am here to apply for dependent status.”
    Say this first at the counter.
    배우자를 피부양자로 올리고 싶습니다.
    Bae-u-ja-reul pi-bu-yang-ja-ro ol-li-go sip-seum-ni-da.
    “I would like to add my spouse as a dependent.”
    Change the word for the relationship as needed.
    서류가 이게 맞나요?
    Seo-ryu-ga i-ge man-na-yo?
    “Are these the right documents?”
    Ask before you hand them over.
    번역 공증이 필요한가요?
    Beo-nyeok gong-jeung-i pi-ryo-han-ga-yo?
    “Does the translation need to be notarised?”
    The answer is normally yes.
    언제부터 적용되나요?
    Eon-je-bu-teo jeo-gyong-doe-na-yo?
    “From what date will the cover apply?”
    This is the 90-day question. Ask it.

    More on health insurance

    Each guide below covers one part of the system. Open the one that matches where you are.

    Health insurance guides
    Health Insurance in Korea for Foreign Residents: Four Ways In
    Which of the four routes you came in by, and what date your cover starts. Begin here.
    How to Enroll in Health Insurance in Korea as a Foreigner
    When your coverage starts, where to register, and how the monthly bill gets paid.
    Health Insurance in Korea: How Much Foreign Residents Pay
    The bill starts at a fixed floor rather than at your income. Who pays less, and why.
    What Happens If You Do Not Pay Health Insurance in Korea
    One unpaid month stops the cover, and six visa types are the only exception.
    Hospital Costs in Korea: Where to Go and What You Pay
    A clinic charges 30 percent. A university hospital charges far more. Which tier to use.
    Health Insurance Dependents in Korea: Who Qualifies, and When
    Family can join your cover after six months, and a 90-day deadline decides the start date.

    Frequently asked questions

    My spouse just arrived. Can they be my dependent now?
    Not yet, unless they are enrolled at a designated school. The six-month residence condition applies to them as a foreign resident. Until it is met, they are outside the insurance and pay the full price at a hospital.
    Does a dependent pay anything?
    No separate contribution. The employee insured person’s contribution does not rise because a dependent is added either, since it is calculated on their salary. That is what makes this route worth the paperwork.
    We are not married but we live together. Does that count?
    No. The Act lists a spouse, and a relationship that is not a registered marriage is not covered by it. The same answer applies to a de facto marriage recognised elsewhere.
    Can I use my own English translation of the marriage certificate?
    No, and it has to be into Korean rather than English. The notice requires a notary or a certified translation agent. The certification of the original document is separate from the translation, and you need both.
    What if my family member starts earning?
    Crossing the income limit ends the dependent status, and they move to paying a contribution themselves. Tell NHIS rather than waiting to be found, because the change is applied from the date it happened.

    Official sources

    The relationship list comes from the Act, the dates from the Enforcement Decree, and the limits from the Enforcement Rule. Ask NHIS about your own case before you book time off for the visit.

    · National Health Insurance Act, Article 5(2), who may be a dependent · Korean
    · National Health Insurance Act, Article 109(4) and (6), dependants among foreign residents · Korean
    · Enforcement Decree, Article 76-3, when dependent status begins · Korean
    · Enforcement Rule, Attached Table 1-2, income and property conditions · Korean
    · Ministry of Health and Welfare Notice 2025-69, Article 5, foreign dependants and documents · Korean
    · NHIS, guidance for foreigners · English
    Information verified as of September 2026. The income and property limits are revised from time to time. Confirm the details with the official source, or call the NHIS English line on 033-811-2000.
    This site is not affiliated with the Korean government. Always confirm details with the official source.
  • Hospital Costs in Korea: Where to Go and What You Pay

    Hospital Costs in Korea: Where to Go and What You Pay

    Many foreign residents go straight to a large hospital when they get sick in Korea, on the assumption that bigger is safer. The insurance is built the other way round.

    At a local clinic it covers 70 percent of the bill. At a university hospital it covers less than half, and you pay the consultation fee in full on top of that. The tier of the place you walk into changes the price more than the treatment does. Here is what each tier costs, when you actually need the big hospital, and what to have in your hand at the desk.

    What this guide covers
    01 The four tiers, and what each one costs you
    02 Why the biggest hospitals need a referral
    03 Bring your card, or pay the whole bill
    04 What it costs to stay overnight
    05 The emergency room is priced to keep you out
    06 What to say at the desk

    The four tiers, and what each one costs you

    Verified September 2026 · Enforcement Decree of the National Health Insurance Act, Attached Table 2, amended 19 February 2026

    Korean medical institutions are sorted into tiers by law, and your share of the bill is set against that tier rather than against the illness. The figures below are what you pay. The insurance pays the rest.

    Tier Area Your share, outpatient
    Clinic
    의원    		 Everywhere 30%
    Hospital
    병원    		 City district
    Town or village    		 40%
    35%
    General hospital
    종합병원    		 City district
    Town or village    		 50%
    45%
    Tertiary general hospital
    상급종합병원    		 Everywhere Consultation fee in full, plus 60% of the rest
    Pharmacy Everywhere 30%
    Public health center Everywhere 30%

    The last tier is the one that catches people out. Only tertiary general hospitals charge the consultation fee in full, and that is on top of the 60 percent. Every other tier takes a straight percentage of the total.

    A clinic is the right place for a cold, a rash, a sprain, a repeat prescription, or a vaccination. It is also the fastest, because the large hospitals are booked weeks ahead.

    Three groups pay less
    · Pregnant patients, outpatient — 10% at a clinic, 20% at a hospital, 30% at a general hospital, 40% at a tertiary hospital. A miscarriage or stillbirth is treated the same way.
    · Infants under one, outpatient — 5% at a clinic, 10% at a hospital, 15% at a general hospital, 20% at a tertiary hospital.
    · Patients aged 65 and over at a clinic or pharmacy pay a flat amount instead of the percentage when the bill is small.

    Before you choose where to go, check both things that set your share: the tier of the place, and whether you are in one of these three groups.

    Why the biggest hospitals need a referral

    Insurance in Korea runs in two stages. Stage one is everything except tertiary general hospitals. Stage two is the tertiary hospitals, and you reach it with a referral written at stage one.

    Without a referral, insurance pays nothing
    You will be treated. The hospital will simply bill you for 100 percent of it, and that carries through to the pharmacy afterwards. Seoul National University Hospital states this plainly on its own patient page. The document is called a medical care referral (진료의뢰서), and your clinic writes it in a minute.

    Some cases do not need one. A tertiary hospital lists these as the usual exceptions:

    Emergency patients · childbirth · rehabilitation for a registered disability · family medicine · haemophilia · staff of that hospital

    A referral has no expiry date of its own, though a hospital may ask for a recent one. Each department wants its own, so a referral written for cardiology does not carry you into orthopaedics.

    Bring your card, or pay the whole bill

    Verified September 2026 · National Health Insurance Act, Article 12(4), in force 20 May 2024

    Since May 2024, a medical institution has to check who you are before it bills the insurance. This is newer than most English guides, and it is the single most common way a foreign resident ends up paying full price for a routine visit.

    · What counts — your Alien Registration Card, a passport, a driving licence, or a health insurance card. Mobile versions are accepted. A photocopy or a photo on your phone of the card itself is not.
    · If you forgot it — you pay the full amount that day, then bring your identification and the receipt back within 14 days and the difference is refunded.
    · When it is not asked for — patients under 19, a return visit to the same place within six months, referred patients, emergencies, and pregnant patients.

    Fourteen days is short, and nobody at the desk will chase you about it. Put the receipt somewhere you will see it.

    What it costs to stay overnight

    Inpatient care is charged differently, and it is far cheaper in proportion than outpatient care at the same hospital.

    The standard inpatient share
    20 percent of the covered total, plus 50 percent of the meals. The same figure applies whether you are in a clinic or a tertiary hospital.

    Room type is the part that moves. A shared room of two, three, or four beds is charged at a higher rate for the room portion only: at a tertiary general hospital that is 50, 40, and 30 percent respectively, and at a general hospital or below, 40 and 30 percent. An isolation room ordered by the Ministry is charged at 10 percent.

    Anything outside the covered list is separate and is not shared with the insurance at all. Private rooms, cosmetic procedures, and most health screenings sit there.

    The emergency room is priced to keep you out

    Emergency rooms in Korea add a management fee on top of the treatment, and whether the insurance touches that fee depends on how your symptoms are classified, not on how urgent they felt to you.

    Not an emergency means the whole fee
    If your case does not meet the legal definition of an emergency symptom, you pay the emergency management fee in full. The charge exists deliberately, to keep emergency rooms clear. Acute loss of consciousness, acute breathing difficulty, cardiac chest pain, uncontrolled bleeding, wide burns, and seizures or a high fever in a small child are on the emergency list. A fever in an adult, a hangover, or a minor cut are not.

    Outside clinic hours, a night or holiday clinic is the cheaper route for anything that is uncomfortable rather than dangerous. Search results for those are in Korean, so it is worth finding the one near you before you need it.

    What to say at the desk

    Five sentences for a clinic or hospital reception. Show the screen if it is easier than speaking.

    건강보험 되나요?
    Geon-gang-bo-heom doe-na-yo?
    “Is this covered by health insurance?”
    Ask before the treatment, not after.
    외국인등록증 가져왔습니다.
    Oe-gu-gin-deung-nok-jeung ga-jyeo-wat-seum-ni-da.
    “I have my Alien Registration Card with me.”
    Hand it over at reception.
    진료의뢰서 가져왔습니다.
    Jil-lyo-ui-roe-seo ga-jyeo-wat-seum-ni-da.
    “I have brought a referral.”
    At a tertiary general hospital.
    신분증을 안 가져왔어요.
    Sin-bun-jeung-eul an ga-jyeo-wa-sseo-yo.
    “I did not bring my identification.”
    Then ask for the receipt below.
    영수증 주세요.
    Yeong-su-jeung ju-se-yo.
    “Please give me the receipt.”
    You need it for the 14-day refund.

    More on health insurance

    Each guide below covers one part of the system. Open the one that matches where you are.

    Health insurance guides
    Health Insurance in Korea for Foreign Residents: Four Ways In
    Which of the four routes you came in by, and what date your cover starts. Begin here.
    How to Enroll in Health Insurance in Korea as a Foreigner
    When your coverage starts, where to register, and how the monthly bill gets paid.
    Health Insurance in Korea: How Much Foreign Residents Pay
    The bill starts at a fixed floor rather than at your income. Who pays less, and why.
    What Happens If You Do Not Pay Health Insurance in Korea
    One unpaid month stops the cover, and six visa types are the only exception.
    Hospital Costs in Korea: Where to Go and What You Pay
    A clinic charges 30 percent. A university hospital charges far more. Which tier to use.
    Health Insurance Dependents in Korea: Who Qualifies, and When
    Family can join your cover after six months, and a 90-day deadline decides the start date.

    Frequently asked questions

    Do I need an appointment at a clinic?
    No. Clinics take walk-ins, and that is what they are built for. Large hospitals run on appointments and are often booked weeks ahead, which is a second reason the clinic is usually the right first stop.
    I forgot my Alien Registration Card. Did I lose the insurance for that visit?
    No, but you have to act. Pay the full amount, keep the receipt, and return with your card within 14 days. The difference is refunded. After 14 days it is not.
    Can I go straight to a university hospital?
    You can be seen, but without a referral from a clinic the insurance pays nothing and you are billed for all of it, prescriptions included. Emergencies, childbirth, family medicine, and a few other cases are exempt.
    Is the price the same at every clinic?
    For covered treatment, yes. The fee schedule is national, so the same procedure costs the same at any clinic. What differs is anything outside the covered list, where each place sets its own price.
    My contributions are behind. Can I still use a hospital?
    Not at the insured price, in most cases. One month of unpaid contributions is enough to stop the insurance paying, and only six visa types get more room than that. The guide on unpaid contributions below sets out which.

    Official sources

    The percentages on this page come from the Enforcement Decree, and the identification rule from the Act itself. Rates are revised, so open the table before you rely on a figure.

    · Enforcement Decree of the National Health Insurance Act, Attached Table 2, patient cost sharing · Korean
    · National Health Insurance Act, Article 12, identification at the point of care · Korean
    · Rules on the Standards for Medical Care Benefits, Article 2, the two stages and the referral · Korean
    · Seoul National University Hospital, referral guidance and exceptions · Korean
    · Chungnam National University Hospital, emergency symptom criteria and the management fee · Korean
    · Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, patient cost sharing · Korean
    Information verified as of September 2026. Rates and rules change. Confirm the details with the official source, or call the NHIS English line on 033-811-2000.
    This site is not affiliated with the Korean government. Always confirm details with the official source.
  • Health Insurance in Korea for Foreign Residents: Four Ways In

    Health Insurance in Korea for Foreign Residents: Four Ways In

    Whether you are in Korea’s health insurance system, and from what date, depends on which of four routes brought you in. Three of them enrol you automatically. The fourth is the only one you have to ask for.

    Most English guides give one rule — six months of residence — and stop. That rule is real, but it governs only one of the four routes, and even inside that route several visa types skip the wait completely. This page sorts out which route is yours, and what happens on the date it starts.

    What this guide covers
    01 The four routes into the system
    02 The six-month clock, and who skips it
    03 Which visa types are charged
    04 Being covered under a family member
    05 Applying to stay out of the system
    06 Getting help in English

    The four routes into the system

    Verified September 2026 · National Health Insurance Act, Article 109

    One article of the Act sets out every way a foreign resident can be in, or out of, national health insurance. There are four, and they are not alternatives you choose between. Your situation decides which one you are in.

    Route Who is in it When it starts
    Employee insured
    직장가입자    		 You work at a company, school, or public office in Korea and are on its payroll Your first day of work. Your employer files it
    Locally insured
    지역가입자    		 Registered foreign residents who are not on a Korean payroll and not a dependent Six months after entry, or the day you enter for some visa types
    Dependent
    피부양자    		 Close family of someone who is employee insured, within income and property limits Six months after entry, with narrow exceptions
    Excluded
    적용제외    		 Already covered by a foreign law, a foreign insurance policy, or your employer’s contract Only when you apply and it is approved

    The practical test between the first two is your payslip. If health insurance is deducted from it, you are employee insured and roughly half the contribution is paid by your employer. If no Korean employer deducts it, you are locally insured and the whole monthly bill comes to you.

    The six-month clock, and who skips it

    Verified September 2026 · Ministry of Health and Welfare Notice 2025-69, Article 4, in force 23 April 2025

    This part applies to the locally insured route. The notice that governs it is written in Korean only, and it is more specific than any English summary of it.

    The clock starts on the day you first entered Korea
    Not the day you registered as a foreign resident, and not the date on your visa. If your foreign resident registration happens to be dated later than your entry, that later date is used instead.

    Leaving the country during those six months is handled in detail, and the detail matters if you travel.

    · Trips adding up to 30 days or less inside the six months are counted as time spent in Korea. A short holiday costs you nothing.
    · One trip longer than a month resets everything. The day you come back becomes your new first entry date, and the six months start again from zero.
    · Two or more trips that add up to more than 30 days, each one a month or shorter, move the starting point rather than resetting it. The count then runs from the first of each month, beginning with the month after you first entered.

    Several visa types do not wait at all. For these, coverage and contributions begin on the day of entry, or on the day you enrol at a designated school.

    Covered from day one
    Marriage Immigrant (F-6) · Non-professional Employment (E-9) · Permanent Residence (F-5) · Study and general training at a designated school, counted from the enrolment date · Working Visit (H-2), where the notice’s conditions are met

    This is the point at which the six-month rule misleads people most. A student who assumes there is nothing to pay until month seven is already accruing contributions, and the bill arrives backdated.

    Which visa types are charged

    Verified September 2026 · NHIS, contribution basis for overseas Koreans and foreign residents

    Being registered is not by itself enough. The locally insured route applies to a set list of statuses, published by NHIS.

    Group Statuses
    Overseas Korean nationals C-0, C-9, C-10
    Study, training, culture, business D-1, D-2, D-3, D-4, D-5, D-6, D-7, D-8, D-9, D-10
    Employment E-1, E-2, E-3, E-4, E-5, E-6, E-7, E-9, E-10
    Family and residence F-1, F-2, F-3, F-4
    Other G-1-6, G-1-12, H-1, H-2

    Two things are worth reading off this list. Households headed by someone with Permanent Residence (F-5) or Marriage Immigrant (F-6) are charged on the same basis as Korean nationals, without the fixed floor that applies to everyone else. And if your status does not appear here at all, do not assume either way — the list is set by notice and is revised. Call the NHIS English line on 033-811-2000 and ask.

    Being covered under a family member

    Verified September 2026 · Ministry of Health and Welfare Notice 2025-69, Article 5

    If someone in your family is employee insured, you may be able to sit under their cover as a dependent and pay nothing yourself. For Korean nationals this is straightforward. For foreign residents two conditions are added, and both catch people out.

    Two extra conditions for foreign residents
    You also have to have been in Korea for six months, unless you are a student, counted from your enrolment date, or a baby born here to a parent who was already insured. And the family relationship has to be proved with a document from your home country, confirmed by a foreign ministry, an apostille, or a body NHIS recognises, with a Korean translation by a notary or a certified translation agent.

    There are also income and property limits, set by the Enforcement Rule and revised from time to time. Because the figures move, check them with NHIS rather than with a guide. A separate page on dependents is in preparation.

    Applying to stay out of the system

    Verified September 2026 · Enforcement Rule of the National Health Insurance Act, Article 61-4

    The fourth route is the only one that requires you to act. If you already have medical cover from somewhere else, you can apply to be left out. Three grounds are recognised.

    Ground What you file with it
    A foreign law covers you A confirmation that the foreign law applies to you
    A foreign insurance policy The insurance contract, or another document proving you are covered
    Your employer’s contract The employment contract, plus proof that the employer pays your medical costs

    All three also require a written statement that you do not wish to join. The form is Annex 7 if you would otherwise be locally insured, and Annex 8 if you would be employee insured. Both go to NHIS.

    There is no list of approved insurers
    This is the question people ask first, and the Enforcement Rule does not answer it. It names no company, no minimum cover, and no country. It asks for documents that prove you are covered. Whether your policy is accepted is decided on those documents, which is why the same employer scheme can be worth submitting even when a colleague tells you it will not work.

    How long an approved exclusion runs for is set separately by the Ministry rather than in the rule itself, so ask NHIS for the period that currently applies before you plan around it.

    Getting help in English

    NHIS runs an English consultation line that is separate from its main call center and from the immigration information line. These three are often confused.

    · 033-811-2000 — NHIS English consultation. Health insurance only.
    · 1577-1000 — NHIS general call center, in Korean.
    · 1345 — Immigration Contact Center. Visas and stay, not insurance.

    For anything that needs a counter rather than a phone, NHIS operates foreigner service centers in Seoul, Ansan, Suwon, Incheon, and the Uijeongbu area, where the enrolment paperwork and the payment setup are handled in the same visit.

    More on health insurance

    Each guide below covers one part of the system. Open the one that matches where you are.

    Health insurance guides
    Health Insurance in Korea for Foreign Residents: Four Ways In
    Which of the four routes you came in by, and what date your cover starts. Begin here.
    How to Enroll in Health Insurance in Korea as a Foreigner
    When your coverage starts, where to register, and how the monthly bill gets paid.
    Health Insurance in Korea: How Much Foreign Residents Pay
    The bill starts at a fixed floor rather than at your income. Who pays less, and why.
    What Happens If You Do Not Pay Health Insurance in Korea
    One unpaid month stops the cover, and six visa types are the only exception.
    Hospital Costs in Korea: Where to Go and What You Pay
    A clinic charges 30 percent. A university hospital charges far more. Which tier to use.
    Health Insurance Dependents in Korea: Who Qualifies, and When
    Family can join your cover after six months, and a 90-day deadline decides the start date.

    Frequently asked questions

    I have been here five months. Am I insured?
    It depends on your status. On F-6, E-9, or F-5, or as a student at a designated school, you have been insured since you arrived and contributions have been accruing. On most other statuses the locally insured route begins the day after the six months are complete.
    Does going home for the holidays restart the six months?
    A single trip of a month or less does not. Trips totalling 30 days or less are treated as time in Korea. One trip longer than a month does restart the count from the day you return.
    My company gives me private medical insurance. Can I opt out?
    You can apply. An employer contract that covers your medical costs is one of the three recognised grounds. What decides it is the documents you file, because the rule sets no standard for which policies qualify.
    My spouse works in Korea. Can I be on their insurance straight away?
    Usually not. Foreign residents joining as a dependent have their own six-month requirement, and the family relationship has to be proved with confirmed documents from your home country. Students and babies born here to an insured parent are the exceptions.
    My status is not on the list. What does that mean?
    It does not automatically mean you are outside the system, and it does not automatically mean you are inside it. The list is set by notice and revised, and being on a Korean payroll puts you in through a different route anyway. Call 033-811-2000 and ask about your specific status.

    Official sources

    Everything above comes from the Act, the notice that implements it, and NHIS policy pages. Rules change, so open the one that matters to your case before you act on it.

    · National Health Insurance Act, Article 109, special provisions for foreign residents · Korean
    · Ministry of Health and Welfare Notice 2025-69, health insurance standards for long-term overseas Koreans and foreign residents · Korean
    · Enforcement Rule of the National Health Insurance Act, Article 61-4, applying to be excluded · Korean
    · NHIS, contribution basis for overseas Koreans and foreign residents · Korean
    · NHIS, guidance for foreigners · English
    Information verified as of September 2026. Rules and rates change, and the contribution rates are reset every January. Confirm the details with the official source, or call the NHIS English line on 033-811-2000.
    This site is not affiliated with the Korean government. Always confirm details with the official source.
  • What Happens If You Do Not Pay Health Insurance in Korea

    What Happens If You Do Not Pay Health Insurance in Korea

    Two separate things happen when health insurance contributions go unpaid in Korea, and they are run by two different offices. The National Health Insurance Service can suspend your medical coverage. The Ministry of Justice can cut your next extension of stay down to six months.

    The first one starts earlier than most people expect. One monthly bill left unpaid for a month is enough, unless you hold one of six visa types that are treated differently. Both problems end the same way, by clearing the balance. Here is what triggers each one and what undoes it.

    What this guide covers
    01 Two consequences, two offices
    02 When your medical coverage can be suspended
    03 What the late fee adds
    04 What a restricted extension means
    05 How to get back to normal, step by step
    06 What to say at the counter

    Two consequences, two offices

    These are often described together as if they were one penalty. They are not. Different laws, different offices, different triggers.

    Suspended coverage Restricted extension
    Who decides National Health Insurance Service Ministry of Justice, at the immigration counter
    Legal basis National Health Insurance Act Article 109(10), Enforcement Decree Articles 76-5 and 76-6 Arrears check system for visa extensions
    What triggers it One monthly bill unpaid for a month. Six visa types get three bills instead Any unpaid amount on the day you apply
    What it costs you You pay the full price at hospitals Six months or less instead of two to five years
    How it ends Pay the arrears in full Pay in full before the officer checks

    Both end at zero, but they are checked at different moments. NHIS looks at the balance every day you use a hospital. The immigration officer looks at it once, on the day you stand at the counter.

    When your medical coverage can be suspended

    Verified September 2026 · National Health Insurance Act Article 109(10) · Enforcement Decree Articles 76-5 and 76-6, both in force 15 April 2025

    If you pay your own monthly bill rather than having it deducted from a Korean payroll, the rule is short. One bill, unpaid for a month.

    The general rule
    ✓ Contributions unpaid for one month. From the date the bill fell due, and until it is paid in full, the insurance does not pay.

    Six visa types are treated differently, and only these six. For them the count runs to three unpaid monthly bills before the restriction starts, and how long each bill was late does not matter. Bills you have since paid come out of that count.

    The six that get three bills instead of one
    Corporate Investment (D-8) · Professor (E-1) · Research (E-3) · Technical Instruction (E-4) · Professional Employment (E-5) · Residence (F-2)
    D-8 is only partly on the list. It covers essential specialists at a foreign-invested company, in management, production, or technology. D-8 holders who founded a venture company, or set up a company on the strength of their technology or patents, are not included. The one-month rule applies to them.
    Study (D-2), general training (D-4), foreign language instruction (E-2), non-professional employment (E-9), overseas Korean (F-4), and working visit (H-2) are not on this list. Neither is any other status.

    This is worth checking against your own card before you plan around a missed payment. Most foreign residents in Korea are not on that list of six, which means the first month is the one that counts.

    The restriction covers you and your dependents. During it you are still insured on paper, but the insurance does not pay, so a hospital charges you the full amount.

    If you already used a hospital while restricted
    NHIS can reclaim what the insurance paid. There is one way to avoid that, and it belongs to the same six visa types listed above, with the same limit on D-8. Once NHIS notifies you that you received benefits during the restriction, the arrears have to be paid in full by the payment deadline of the month that falls two months after the notice. Do that and the treatment is recognised as covered after all.
    On every other status there is no such window written into the Decree. Ask NHIS on 033-811-2000 about your own case rather than assuming either way.

    What the late fee adds

    Verified September 2026 · National Health Insurance Act, Article 80

    A late fee runs daily from the day after the deadline, and it steps up after the first month. Both parts are capped, which keeps the arithmetic from running away.

    Period Daily rate Cap
    From the day after the deadline 1/1,500 of the unpaid amount 2% of the unpaid amount
    From 30 days after the deadline, added on top 1/6,000 of the unpaid amount 5% in total

    So the late fee on a single month at the 2026 floor of 158,630 KRW tops out at just under 8,000 KRW. The late fee is not the expensive part of falling behind. The suspended coverage and the shortened visa are.

    What a restricted extension means

    The Ministry of Justice and the collecting agencies exchange arrears data on registered foreign residents aged 19 and over. When you apply to extend your stay, the officer sees whether you owe tax or health insurance contributions.

    At the counter
    ✓ Balance cleared — the extension proceeds normally, usually two to five years depending on your status.
    ✓ Balance outstanding — a restricted extension. The Ministry states that, in principle, six months or less is granted.
    ✓ The system runs at 38 immigration offices nationwide.

    Six months instead of two years means a second appointment, a second 60,000 KRW extension fee, and the documents assembled again before the year is out. Clearing the arrears is the cheaper of the two problems.

    How to get back to normal, step by step

    Five steps. The order matters, because step 2 is the one that restores your medical coverage.

    Step 1 — Find out what you actually owe

    Ask NHIS for the total, including late fees. The English consultation line is 033-811-2000. If you live in Seoul, Ansan, Suwon, Incheon, or the Uijeongbu area, the foreigner service center for your area handles this in person.

    Step 2 — Clear the balance

    The restriction runs until the arrears are paid in full, so this is the step that brings your coverage back. If you cannot pay it all at once, Article 82 lets you apply for a payment plan once three or more monthly bills are unpaid, and NHIS has to tell you the option exists before it moves to collection. A plan stops the collection process and spreads the payments. It is not written into the Decree as something that lifts the restriction, so do not count on treatment being covered while a balance remains.

    Step 3 — Keep the plan running

    Missing five instalments without good reason cancels the approval, and collection resumes. If the plan you agreed has fewer than five instalments, missing that number has the same effect.

    Step 4 — Clear the balance before any visa appointment

    A payment plan does not help you at the immigration counter. The officer is checking whether the balance is zero. Finish the arrears before you book, not after.

    Step 5 — Set up direct debit so it does not repeat

    Contributions fall due on the 10th of each month. Direct debit from a Korean bank account carries no processing fee, and a missed debit is retried automatically on set dates rather than becoming arrears. Cards issued outside Korea are not accepted.

    What to say at the counter

    Five sentences for an NHIS branch or foreigner service center. Show the screen if it is easier than speaking.

    건강보험료 분할눁부를 신청하고 싶습니다.
    Geon-gang-bo-heom-nyo bun-hal-lap-bu-reul sin-cheong-ha-go sip-seum-ni-da.
    “I would like to apply for a payment plan for my health insurance contributions.”
    Say this first at the counter.
    지금까지 밀린 금액이 얼마인가요?
    Ji-geum-kka-ji mil-lin geu-mae-gi eol-ma-in-ga-yo?
    “How much do I owe in total so far?”
    Ask for the figure including late fees.
    명 개월로 나눌 수 있나요?
    Myeot-gae-wol-lo na-nul su in-na-yo?
    “How many months can it be split into?”
    Use after the first sentence.
    지금 병원에 걀 수 있나요?
    Ji-geum byeong-wo-ne gal su in-na-yo?
    “Can I use a hospital right now?”
    Asks whether your coverage is suspended.
    자동이체를 신청하고 싶습니다.
    Ja-dong-i-che-reul sin-cheong-ha-go sip-seum-ni-da.
    “I would like to set up direct debit.”
    Do this before you leave the counter.

    More on health insurance

    Each guide below covers one part of the system. Open the one that matches where you are.

    Health insurance guides
    Health Insurance in Korea for Foreign Residents: Four Ways In
    Which of the four routes you came in by, and what date your cover starts. Begin here.
    How to Enroll in Health Insurance in Korea as a Foreigner
    When your coverage starts, where to register, and how the monthly bill gets paid.
    Health Insurance in Korea: How Much Foreign Residents Pay
    The bill starts at a fixed floor rather than at your income. Who pays less, and why.
    What Happens If You Do Not Pay Health Insurance in Korea
    One unpaid month stops the cover, and six visa types are the only exception.
    Hospital Costs in Korea: Where to Go and What You Pay
    A clinic charges 30 percent. A university hospital charges far more. Which tier to use.
    Health Insurance Dependents in Korea: Who Qualifies, and When
    Family can join your cover after six months, and a 90-day deadline decides the start date.

    Frequently asked questions

    Will one missed payment stop my coverage?
    Usually yes, once it has been unpaid for a month. The general rule for foreign residents who pay their own bill is one month, not six bills. Three bills applies only to six visa types: D-8, E-1, E-3, E-4, E-5, and F-2. For D-8, founders of a venture company or tech startup are left out. The figure of six bills that you may have read is the rule for Korean nationals.
    Can I pay the arrears in instalments?
    Yes, once three or more monthly bills are unpaid. Article 82 lets you apply, and NHIS has to tell you the option exists before moving to collection. A plan spreads the payments and stops collection. It is not written into the Decree as something that restores coverage, so treat the two as separate.
    Will a payment plan protect my visa extension?
    No. The two systems look at different things. NHIS counts unpaid bills, and the immigration officer checks whether the balance is zero. A plan does not make it zero. Finish the arrears before your appointment.
    I went to a hospital while suspended. What now?
    If you hold one of the six visa types, there is a window. D-8 holders who founded a venture company or tech startup do not get it. Pay the arrears in full by the payment deadline of the month falling two months after NHIS notifies you, and the treatment counts as covered. On other statuses the Decree provides no such window, so call 033-811-2000 and ask about your case.
    Why is the rule different for foreign residents?
    It used to be harsher still. Coverage stopped on the day a bill went unpaid, with no grace at all, while a Korean national had six bills and several ways back. The Constitutional Court ruled that gap unconstitutional in September 2023. The Decree was rewritten in April 2025 to add a one-month wait for everyone and a three-bill allowance for six visa types.

    Official sources

    Every figure on this page comes from the Act, its Enforcement Decree, and the Ministry of Justice. Rules change, so open the article that matters to your case before you plan around it.

    · Korea Ministry of Government Legislation · National Health Insurance Act · Art. 109(10) · Art. 80 · Art. 82
    · Enforcement Decree of the National Health Insurance Act · Article 76-5, the one-month period · Korean · Article 76-6 and Attached Table 6-2, the six visa types · Korean
    · Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Act · Attached Table 1-2, item 11, the D-8 categories · Korean
    · Korea Immigration Service, arrears check before a visa extension · Korean
    · NHIS, eligibility guidance and foreigner service centers · Korean · payment methods · Collection Portal
    Information verified as of September 2026. Rules and rates change. Confirm the details with the official source, or call the NHIS English line on 033-811-2000.
    This site is not affiliated with the Korean government. Always confirm details with the official source.