Save these three numbers first
Before anything else, put these in your phone. The moment you need 1339 is not the moment you want to be searching for it.
| Number | What it is | Languages |
|---|---|---|
| 119 | Emergency — ambulance and fire | Multilingual dispatch |
| 1339 | Medical information and emergency medical guidance | Interpretation available |
| 1345 | Immigration Contact Center | 20 languages |
| 1577-1366 | Danuri call centre, 24 hours, 365 days | 15 languages |
Do not start at the biggest hospital
This is the mistake almost every newcomer makes, and it costs money.
Korean healthcare is tiered. Going straight to a famous university hospital for a sore throat does not get you better care. It gets you a larger bill, because insurance treats it as a level you skipped.
Level 1 — Clinic (의원)
A small neighbourhood practice, usually one doctor and one specialty. Colds, stomach problems, minor injuries. No appointment needed. Walk in.
Level 2 — Hospital (병원)
Mid-size, several departments, has beds. Where a clinic sends you if it turns out to be more serious.
Level 3 — Tertiary hospital (상급종합병원)
The large university hospitals. For National Health Insurance to cover your treatment here, you normally need a written referral (진료의뢰서) from level 1 or 2. Without one you may be charged the full amount.
The exception is an emergency. Emergency rooms are open 24 hours, take anyone, and need no referral. If it is serious, do not stop at a clinic first.
What they will ask you at the desk
Reception moves fast and rarely in English. These are the sentences you will hear, roughly in this order.
| Korean | How it sounds | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 어디가 아프세요? | eo-di-ga a-peu-se-yo | Where does it hurt? |
| 언제부터 아팠어요? | eon-je-bu-teo a-pat-eo-yo | When did it start? |
| 열이 나요? | yeol-i na-yo | Do you have a fever? |
| 알레르기 있으세요? | al-le-reu-gi it-seu-se-yo | Any allergies? |
| 드시는 약 있으세요? | deu-si-neun yak it-seu-se-yo | Are you taking any medication? |
| 보험 있으세요? | bo-heom it-seu-se-yo | Do you have insurance? |
| 외국인등록증 주세요 | oe-guk-in-deung-nok-jeung ju-se-yo | Your ARC, please |
| 처방전 나왔습니다 | cheo-bang-jeon na-wat-seum-ni-da | Here is your prescription |
And four sentences worth learning to say back:
| Korean | How it sounds | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 여기가 아파요 | yeo-gi-ga a-pa-yo | It hurts here |
| 3일 전부터요 | sam-il jeon-bu-teo-yo | Since three days ago |
| 영어 되는 분 계세요? | yeong-eo doe-neun bun gye-se-yo | Is there anyone who speaks English? |
| 통역이 필요해요 | tong-yeok-i pil-yo-hae-yo | I need an interpreter |
Bring two cards. Your Alien Registration Card (외국인등록증) and your National Health Insurance card. Foreign residents staying six months or more are required to be enrolled, through an employer or as a local subscriber.
What it costs
With National Health Insurance you usually pay 30% to 60% of the covered amount, depending on the type of hospital. Without insurance you pay the full amount.
Cosmetic procedures, most dental work beyond basic treatment, and health screenings are non-covered (비급여). These are charged in full even when you are insured. This surprises a lot of people at a dermatology or plastic surgery clinic, where most visits are cosmetic rather than medical.
If you have no insurance, and no status
These are national programmes, not Seoul ones, and they are written more widely than most people assume.
The state settles the emergency bill first
Under the Emergency Medical Expense Deferred Payment scheme (응급의료비 대지급제도), a person treated in an emergency room can have the state pay the hospital on the spot and repay it afterwards in instalments.
It is not limited to citizens. It is not limited to the insured.
Having no money is not a reason to stay away from an emergency room.
Medical support for foreign workers — up to 3 million won
The Ministry of Health and Welfare has run a medical support programme since 2005 for people who cannot be covered by any state health scheme.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Covers | Hospitalisation and surgery |
| Amount | Up to 3,000,000 KRW per case, 6,000,000 KRW per year |
| Share | 90% of the total bill is supported, you pay 10% |
| Meals | 80% supported |
| Where to apply | At one of roughly 120 designated medical institutions |
| Not covered | Non-covered (비급여) items |
Who is eligible: foreign workers and their spouse and children under 18, marriage migrants before naturalisation, asylum applicants and their children. Undocumented workers are included in the scope of this programme.
Outpatient visits are generally not covered, with two exceptions that matter a great deal: prenatal check-ups, and outpatient care for children under 18.
About the paperwork
You will be asked for a work confirmation form (근로확인서) signed by your employer, along with a diagnosis, an admission certificate and receipts.
It is worth knowing what that form actually asks for. It records your name, passport number, nationality, address, the workplace details, and the period you worked there. It does not ask about your visa status. It does not ask what you were paid or what kind of work you did.
If your employer will not sign one, do not decide on your own that you are ineligible. Ask the social work team (의료사회복지팀) at a designated hospital, or call 129, the Ministry of Health and Welfare information line.
Will the hospital report me?
We are not going to pretend nobody ever reports anyone.
But that is a different thing from a hospital being obliged to. What we have seen too often is someone waiting — a month, three months — until something small has become something that needs surgery.
Be careful if you need to be. Do not let being careful turn into being untreated.
If you would rather not go through a hospital at all, there are free clinics.
Raphael Clinic (라파엘클리닉) in Seongbuk-gu has treated migrant workers free of charge every Sunday for 27 years — more than 320,000 people. Call 02-763-7595. It is a five-minute walk from Hansung University Station (Line 4), Exit 5.
The Seoul Foreign Resident Portal at global.seoul.go.kr publishes a list of hospitals in Seoul offering free treatment.
Why Seoul is different
This is the one advantage you genuinely cannot get outside the capital, and most people never use it.
Almost every major teaching hospital in the country sits inside Seoul, and each runs a separate International Healthcare Center (국제진료센터). Not a translator called in when you arrive — a standing desk with its own coordinators, its own phone line and its own billing staff.
- Seoul National University Hospital supports English, Chinese, Mongolian, Russian and Arabic
- Seoul St. Mary's Hospital coordinators walk patients between departments
- Asan Medical Center staffs native-level English and Japanese speakers
Outside Seoul this thins out fast. In most provinces there is one such hospital, sometimes none, and the practical fallback is the 1339 line.
Phone the hospital and ask for the international healthcare center by name, before you go. Queuing at the main reception and hoping someone speaks English is the slow way.
Questions people ask
Can I see a doctor in Korea without health insurance?
Yes. A clinic or hospital will treat you as a paying patient whether or not you are insured. The difference is the price: with National Health Insurance you pay 30% to 60% of the covered amount depending on the type of hospital, and without it you pay the full amount. Foreign residents staying six months or more are required to be enrolled, through an employer or as a local subscriber.
Which hospital should I go to first?
A neighbourhood clinic (의원). Korean healthcare is tiered, and walking into a university hospital with an ordinary illness does not get you better care — it gets you a larger bill, because insurance treats it as a level you skipped. If it turns out to be serious, the clinic writes you a referral (진료의뢰서). The exception is an emergency: emergency rooms take anyone, 24 hours, with no referral.
What if I cannot pay the emergency room bill?
Ask about the Emergency Medical Expense Deferred Payment scheme (응급의료비 대지급제도). The state pays the hospital on the spot and you repay it afterwards in instalments. It is not limited to citizens and not limited to the insured. Having no money is not a reason to stay away from an emergency room.
Is there medical support for undocumented workers?
Yes. The Ministry of Health and Welfare has run a medical support programme since 2005 for people who cannot be covered by any state health scheme, and undocumented workers are included in its scope. It covers hospitalisation and surgery up to 3,000,000 KRW per case and 6,000,000 KRW per year, supporting 90% of the bill. Outpatient care is generally excluded, with two exceptions: prenatal check-ups, and children under 18.
Does the work confirmation form ask about my visa status?
No. The work confirmation form (근로확인서) records your name, passport number, nationality, address, the workplace details and the period you worked there. It does not ask about visa status, pay, or the kind of work you did. If your employer will not sign one, ask the social work team (의료사회복지팀) at a designated hospital or call 129 rather than deciding on your own that you are ineligible.
Where can I be treated for free in Seoul?
Raphael Clinic (라파엘클리닉) in Seongbuk-gu has treated migrant workers free of charge every Sunday for 27 years, more than 320,000 people in total. Call 02-763-7595; it is a five-minute walk from Hansung University Station (Line 4), Exit 5. The Seoul Foreign Resident Portal at global.seoul.go.kr also publishes a list of hospitals in Seoul offering free treatment.
What number do I call if I do not speak Korean?
119 for an ambulance, with multilingual dispatch. 1339 for medical information and emergency medical guidance, with interpretation available. 1345 is the Immigration Contact Center in 20 languages, and 1577-1366 is the Danuri call centre, open 24 hours in 15 languages.
Finding a hospital near you
Kori Care Link lists hospitals, clinics and pharmacies across all 25 districts of Seoul, with addresses, phone numbers and a map link for each one. Pick your district, pick what you need.
Kori Care Local DirectoryHospitals, clinics and pharmacies by district — free, no sign-up
Sources: Ministry of Health and Welfare, medical support programme for foreign workers (2025 revision) · National Emergency Medical Center, deferred payment scheme · hospital international healthcare centers · Seoul Foreign Resident Portal. This guide explains public services and is not medical advice. Confirm costs and departments with the hospital before treatment.