🏥 Medical Help

Many ordinary clinics close in the evening, on Sundays and on public holidays. If it is not an emergency, look for an open clinic or pharmacy before you travel. Some areas have late-night pharmacies and night or holiday children’s clinics; availability depends on the local area.

1. 1Search the map for the clinic or pharmacy and check that it is open now.
2. 2If your condition is serious or cannot safely wait until normal hours, go to an emergency room or call 119.
3. 3If you are not sure whether your symptoms need an emergency room, 1339 (health and infectious-disease information) may help.

• • Passport or another form of identification
• • Travel insurance information and its assistance phone number
• • A list of the medicines you take
• • Medication allergies and medical conditions
• • Previous medical reports if relevant
• • A credit or debit card

For regular medicine, show the original package, a photo of the label, the generic drug name and the dosage.

Usual order: doctor, prescription, pharmacy, medicine. There is often a pharmacy near the clinic or hospital. Give the prescription to the pharmacist, who will explain how many times a day, before or after meals, and for how many days.

You can also go straight to a pharmacy for minor problems such as cold symptoms, indigestion, headache or mild allergies; a pharmacist may suggest non-prescription medicine, or advise you to see a doctor. Prescription medicines cannot simply be bought over the counter.

Travel and language assistance for visitors. It can help with interpretation and point you to relevant services. It is not an ambulance service. Check the official page for current languages and hours. Calls over a normal phone line may be charged.

The Medical Korea Information Center helps international patients with information on medical institutions, consultation and appointments, foreign-patient services, and complaints or medical disputes. Published hours are 09:00–18:00 daily (Korea time), with English, Chinese and Japanese support; some desks add Russian. Check before you call.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency runs 1339 for infectious-disease questions and health consultation. It is not an ambulance number: for an immediate medical emergency, call 119. Check the official page for current languages and access.

Costs depend on the facility, treatment, tests, medicine and insurance status. Short-term visitors should normally be ready to pay at the time of treatment unless their insurer and the hospital have arranged direct billing. Some international hospitals work with overseas insurers, but this varies by hospital and insurer.

Before treatment, if you can, ask your insurer:

• • Which hospital should I use?
• • Do you provide direct billing in Korea?

For hospital admission or expensive treatment, contact your insurer early. Foreigners who are covered by Korea’s National Health Insurance (usually longer-term residents) are a separate case.

• • Medical receipt
• • Detailed medical bill
• • Diagnosis or medical certificate
• • Doctor’s report
• • Prescription and pharmacy receipt
• • Test results

Requirements differ between insurers. If you plan to claim, tell the hospital before you leave.