Seoul offers medical interpreters for foreign residents, multicultural families

Visitors try out a blood pressure monitor at a medical equipment exhibition in Gangnam, Seoul, March 20. Yonhap

Foreign residents and multicultural families in Korea often face hurdles beyond language barriers when visiting hospitals. From explaining symptoms to navigating the health care system, these challenges can cause delays or disrupt treatment.

Seoul has unveiled a new policy aimed at easing those difficulties.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Friday that it will launch the Medical-Seoul Interpreter Community this month to help foreign residents and multicultural families overcome language barriers in medical settings.

A total of 43 interpreters have been selected, covering 10 languages: Chinese, Russian, Vietnamese, Mongolian, English, Khmer, Japanese, Thai, Hindi and Urdu.

The team includes foreign residents and local citizens who have completed professional medical interpretation training and hold relevant certifications. They will assist in situations requiring specialized support, including treatment for serious illnesses, surgeries, hospitalizations and advanced medical exams.

Language barriers have long been a major obstacle preventing foreign residents here from receiving proper medical care.

A 2020 survey of 1,060 foreigners by the National Human Rights Commission of Korea found that 24.5 percent said they did not fully understand medical explanations without an interpreter. In contrast, more than 90 percent reported clear understanding when interpretation services were available.

According to Statistics Korea, 6 percent of migrants said they had been unable to visit a hospital despite being ill over the past year — with 38.7 percent blaming communication difficulties as the primary reason.

Medical interpretation services must be requested at least three days before the appointment, excluding public holidays. The service is available on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and each applicant may use it for up to four hours per session, with a maximum of four sessions per year.

The entire process, from application to interpreter assignment, is managed by the Dongbu Foreign Resident Center, a foreigner support center operated by the city government.

A QR code that links to the medical interpretation request form. Courtesy of the Seoul Metropolitan Government

The service will be available starting next Wednesday. Applications can be submitted through banners or QR codes found on global.seoul.go.kr and the mcfamily.or.kr.