Help points at a glance

Service	What it does	Contact	Languages and hours
1330 Korea Travel Helpline (Korea Tourism Organization)	Tourist information, tourist interpretation and complaints	1330 in Korea; +82-2-1330 from abroad; also online voice call and chat in messenger apps	Not stated on the official page we read
Medical Korea Information Center (KHIDI, for the Ministry of Health and Welfare)	Medical consultation and information, help to find a clinic and reserve, complaint and dispute counselling	+82-2-1577-7129; walk-in desks at Seoul Station and Incheon Airport Terminal 1	English, Chinese, Japanese and Russian per the centre; call line daily 09:00 to 18:00 Korean time
K-medi (Korea Medical Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Agency)	Mediation and arbitration after a medical accident	1670-2545 in Korea; +82-2-1670-2545 from abroad	Free consultation on weekdays 09:00 to 18:00; English and Chinese web pages

For a life-threatening emergency, call 119, Korea's emergency number. The 1330 line is for non-life-threatening situations.

The 1330 Korea Travel Helpline

The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) runs the 1330 Korea Travel Helpline. It is a telephone and real-time chat service for tourist information, tourist interpretation and complaints. You can dial 1330 in Korea or +82-2-1330 from abroad, or use an online voice call or a chat in messenger apps.

KTO points travellers to 1330 for interpretation in non-life-threatening situations, such as transport questions. The KTO page we read does not state the helpline's hours or languages. Check them on the VISITKOREA site before you rely on the line.

The Medical Korea Information Center

The Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI) runs this centre for the Ministry of Health and Welfare. According to its site, it:

gives medical consultation and information to foreign patients
helps them find medical institutions and reserve medical services
counsels on complaints and disputes, and helps move a case to K-medi
takes reports of illegal brokers

It lists a call line, +82-2-1577-7129, open daily 09:00 to 18:00 Korean time. It also has walk-in desks:

Seoul Station: level B2 (Airport Railroad), daily 09:00 to 18:00.
Incheon Airport Terminal 1: 1F, Gate 7, daily 09:00 to 21:00, +82-32-743-3506 and +82-32-743-3507.

The languages differ between pages. The centre's introduction names English, Chinese, Japanese and Russian. The Seoul Station desk lists English, Chinese, Japanese and Korean, without Russian. The Incheon desk also lists Russian. Ask which language is available at the line or desk you plan to use.

Interpreters at clinics

The law on foreign patients ties registration to a few conditions. A clinic that wants to attract foreign patients must register with the city or provincial governor. It needs at least one board-certified specialist for each department it offers, and it needs malpractice liability insurance or membership of the medical mutual-aid association. KHIDI says all registered institutions have had to carry malpractice liability insurance since 2016.

The Act does not list an interpreter among its registration requirements. We did not check its enforcement decree and rule for staffing requirements, such as coordinators. Do not assume that a registered clinic has an interpreter.

What the Act does require of registered clinics:

They must display their registration certificate where anyone can see it. Registration is valid for 3 years and must be renewed.
They must post patients' rights in a foreign language and keep printed copies in the clinic.
They must give foreign patients a treatment contract with estimated fees, the diagnosis and treatment method with possible side effects, and the dispute-resolution procedure.

The Act also lets the health ministry train medical interpreters and run a medical-interpreting proficiency certification. We did not check whether a given clinic's interpreter holds one.

Questions to ask the clinic:

Which languages do you offer, and is the interpreter on staff or reached by phone or app?
Will an interpreter be present at the consultation, at the treatment and at the follow-up visit?
Are the consent form and the aftercare instructions available in my language?
Who answers my messages after I fly home, and in which language?

If something goes wrong: K-medi

First raise the problem with the clinic. The Medical Korea Information Center counsels foreign patients on complaints and disputes. K-medi handles damage caused by a medical accident. For deposits and refunds, see our article on deposits and cancellations.

K-medi offers free consultation on weekdays from 09:00 to 18:00 at 1670-2545. Its English and Chinese pages have downloadable application forms, and its English site says mediation and arbitration requests can also be sent by e-mail. How the system works, according to K-medi and the Act:

K-medi arbitrates the amount of damages within 90 days, and within 120 days at most.
An accepted mediation decision has the same effect as a court settlement. An arbitration award has the same effect as a final court judgment.
Mediation starts only if the clinic says within 14 days of receiving the application that it will take part. Otherwise the application is dismissed.
The exception: mediation starts without the clinic's consent after a death, after unconsciousness of one month or more, or after a severe disability defined by decree.
You must apply within 3 years of learning of the damage and of who caused it, and within 10 years of the act that caused the accident.
A foreigner may appoint a representative with written authority. The representative can be someone other than a family member or a lawyer.
An application is dismissed if the same dispute is already in court, or has already been filed with the consumer dispute mediation committee under the Framework Act on Consumers. Choose one route.

Whether K-medi provides an interpreter at hearings is not confirmed in our sources. Ask in its free consultation. This is general information, not legal advice.

FAQ

What number do I call to get an interpreter in Korea?

The Korea Tourism Organization points travellers to the 1330 Korea Travel Helpline for interpretation in non-life-threatening situations. Dial 1330 in Korea, or +82-2-1330 from abroad. The official page we read does not state its hours or languages, so check them. For a life-threatening emergency, call 119.

Does a Korean clinic have to provide an interpreter?

The law that registers clinics for foreign patients requires a specialist for each department and malpractice insurance. It does not list an interpreter, and we did not check its enforcement decree. Registered clinics must post patients' rights in a foreign language. Ask each clinic which languages it offers and who interprets.

What is the Medical Korea Information Center?

It is a service of KHIDI, run for the Ministry of Health and Welfare. It gives medical consultation and information, helps foreign patients find clinics and reserve services, and counsels on complaints and disputes. The call line is +82-2-1577-7129, daily 09:00 to 18:00 Korean time. It also has desks at Seoul Station and Incheon Airport Terminal 1.

Who handles disputes about a medical accident?

K-medi mediates and arbitrates damage caused by a medical accident. It decides damages within 90 days, or 120 days at most. Mediation starts only if the clinic agrees within 14 days, except after a death, unconsciousness of one month or more, or a severe disability. You must apply within 3 years of learning of the damage, and within 10 years of the act.

Can I use K-medi and the courts for the same dispute?

No. K-medi dismisses an application if the same dispute is already in court, or has already been filed with the consumer dispute mediation committee. You choose one route. K-medi offers free consultation on weekdays from 09:00 to 18:00 at 1670-2545, where you can ask which route fits your case.

Sources

Contact details, hours and languages checked on 29 October 2026. They change, so confirm them on the official sites.

Interpreters and help for foreign patients in Korea: 1330, KHIDI and K-medi