Foreign-language emergency calls more than double in Korea

As a record number of international tourists visit Korea, police are facing a growing demand for interpretation services, both for foreign-language emergency calls and at crime scenes.

However, budget constraints have hindered efforts to recruit additional professional interpreters for languages other than English and Chinese, leaving officers to struggle with language barriers, particularly at crime scenes where interpreters are often difficult to secure on short notice.

Foreign arrivals to Korea rose 21.5 percent year-on-year to 17.11 million in the first nine months of this year, up from 14.08 million in 2025, further increasing demand for police interpretation services.

According to data submitted by the National Police Agency to Rep. Park Ju-min of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, police received 21,252 emergency calls in foreign languages last year, nearly double the 10,348 recorded in 2024.

The surge has continued this year, with 21,012 foreign-language calls recorded through August, nearly equaling last year's annual total.

Despite repeated requests for additional interpreters, recruitment has remained stalled due to a lack of funding.

Beyond emergency calls, police also face challenges securing interpreters for in-person questioning of foreign nationals at police stations, where they rely on civilian interpreters rather than dedicated staff.

Unlike 112 emergency call centers, which have interpreters on duty, police stations arrange interpretation services on a case-by-case basis, calling in civilian interpreters who typically hold other jobs.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency had 629 registered civilian interpreters as of last month. Chinese interpreters accounted for the largest share at 198, followed by 97 for English, 64 for Vietnamese, 57 for Japanese, 39 for Russian, 33 for Mongolian and 18 for Thai.

However, disparities in interpreter availability across languages and scheduling conflicts often make it difficult for police to secure interpreters when needed.

The challenge is even greater at crime scenes, where bringing in an interpreter on short notice can be particularly difficult.

Accurate communication is especially critical when arresting foreign nationals, as police are legally required to inform suspects of their rights, including the reason for their arrest and their right to legal counsel, under the Miranda warning.

To address these challenges, police have begun using smartphone applications and translation devices, though such initiatives remain limited to individual police agencies and stations rather than being implemented nationwide.

The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency has developed a smartphone application that allows officers to recite the Miranda warning to foreign suspects in their native languages. Officers can select a language, and the application provides the warning through both audio and text.

Meanwhile, Seoul's Mapo Police Station has introduced a standalone translation device that converts officers' spoken words into a selected foreign language. The device can be used to deliver the Miranda warning and assist foreign nationals seeking police services.

Police are also developing an artificial intelligence-powered interpretation system to ease the growing burden of handling foreign-language emergency calls.

The system will automatically detect foreign languages and translate conversations between police officers and callers in real time.

However, until the system is fully developed and deployed, police will have to continue relying on existing interpreters, leaving language barriers a persistent challenge in emergency response operations.