Sick in Korea after hours? Here's what visitors need to know

A patient is transported by ambulance at a major hospital in Seoul on Feb. 28, 2024. Korea Times photo by Park Si-mon

Click here for more articles by Kormedi.com.

Korea offers hotlines, late-night pharmacies and 24-hour convenience stores to help foreign visitors find care when clinics close — but getting through without Korean remains a challenge.

For immediate guidance, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) operates the 1339 hotline. The 24-hour call center provides medical consultations, infectious disease information and instructions on how to respond to emergency situations.

If patients are unsure whether their symptoms warrant an emergency room visit, they can use three-way calling with interpreters to speak with 1339 operators. The Korea Tourism Organization runs the 1330 Tourist Information Center, offering assistance in eight languages — including English, Japanese, Chinese, Russian and Vietnamese — from 7 a.m. to midnight.

The Ministry of Justice also operates the 1345 Immigration Contact Center, which provides support in 20 languages from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The center extends its English, Chinese and Korean services until 10 p.m.

Users can avoid phone charges by accessing the 1339 hotline through the KakaoTalk messenger application. Patients can also receive real-time medical consultation by adding the official KDCA account as a friend to use the sevice.

For minor conditions — colds, headaches or similar complaints — local governments have designated public late-night pharmacies. These facilities typically remain open from 10 p.m. to midnight or into the early morning. On-duty pharmacists advise patients and recommend over-the-counter medication.

Pediatric patients can receive treatment during nights and holidays at state-designated facilities called Moonlight Children's Hospitals. Residents and visitors can locate nearby late-night pharmacies and after-hours clinics by calling 1339 or searching online.

The official call center of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) offers 24-hour medical consultations and infectious disease reporting. Captured from KDCA

For issues like indigestion or menstrual cramps, 24-hour convenience stores sell a basic selection of over-the-counter medicine. Available items include fever reducers, multi-symptom cold remedies, digestive aids, anti-diarrheal medicine and pain relief patches. Patients should visit a clinic if symptoms persist, as convenience store purchases occur without pharmacist consultation.

Anyone experiencing severe chest pain, shortness of breath, loss of consciousness, heavy bleeding or major trauma should go directly to an emergency room or call 119 for an ambulance.

This article from Kormedi.com, Korea’s top health care and medical portal, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.