How to book a Korean clinic or hospital by phone when you don't speak Korean — 1345/1330 interpreters, phrases, and when to let an AI call for you
You know which clinic you want. You can even read the sign. But the appointment has to be made by phone, in Korean, with a receptionist who speaks fast and hangs up when the line goes quiet.
This guide covers the three realistic ways around that: avoid the call, bring an interpreter into the call, or have someone (or something) call for you. Hours and numbers below were checked against the official sites in October 2026; check again before you rely on them.
Do you actually need to call?
Many neighbourhood clinics (의원, uiwon) take walk-ins. Internal medicine (내과), ENT (이비인후과), orthopaedics (정형외과), dermatology (피부과) and paediatrics (소아과) in a residential area will usually see you if you arrive during opening hours with your Alien Registration Card and wait. Dentists (치과), hospitals (병원, 종합병원) and anything with a named specialist usually want a booking.
Before you call, check whether the clinic has a Naver booking button (네이버 예약) on its Naver Map listing or a KakaoTalk channel — many do, and typing is far easier than talking. Large hospitals and university hospitals have international clinics with English-speaking staff; search the hospital's name plus “international clinic”.
For finding a place that is open right now — late at night, on a Sunday, on a public holiday — use the emergency medical portal E-Gen (www.e-gen.or.kr, from the Ministry of Health and Welfare). It lists clinics, pharmacies and emergency rooms that are open, with phone numbers and hours, without registration.
Free interpreter lines you can bring into the call
Korea has several free phone interpretation services. The usual pattern is a three-way call: you call the hotline, explain in your language, and the interpreter either calls the clinic with you on the line or stays on while you are connected. Not every receptionist will wait for this, so be ready to call back during a quieter hour.
1345 — Immigration Contact Center (Ministry of Justice). Weekdays 09:00–22:00; 20 languages including English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Nepali, Thai, Indonesian, Mongolian and Russian until 18:00, and Korean, English and Chinese only after 18:00. Its official three-way interpretation is for business with public bodies — a district office, health center, immigration office, the KDCA 1339 call center — so for those, ask the office to connect 1345. For a private clinic it may redirect you.
1330 — Korea Travel Helpline (Korea Tourism Organization). 24 hours, every day, in Korean, English, Chinese and Japanese; some other languages (such as Vietnamese, Thai, Malay and Indonesian) only during the day, roughly 08:00–19:00. It offers interpretation and three-way calls and is used by residents as well as tourists. Dial 1330 inside Korea, +82-2-1330 from abroad.
1577-1366 — Danuri Helpline (Ministry of Gender Equality and Family). 24 hours, 365 days, 13 languages including Vietnamese, Chinese, Tagalog, Nepali, Thai, Mongolian, Russian, Uzbek, Khmer, Lao, Japanese and English. It is run for multicultural families and migrant women, and includes three-way interpretation and daily-life information.
1588-5644 — BBB Korea. A volunteer interpreter service in 19 languages, 24 hours, free apart from the call itself; also available as the “bbb Interpretation” app. Volunteers are not medical interpreters, so keep requests simple: a date, a time, a symptom.
120 (Seoul only) — Dasan Call Center. Weekdays 09:00–18:00; dial 02-120 then press 9 for English, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese or Mongolian. Useful for city-run health centers and general questions.
Emergencies are a different number
If someone is seriously ill or injured, call 119 (fire and ambulance) yourself. 119 operators can bring an interpreter into the call; say the language you speak slowly and clearly. 112 is the police. Do not route an emergency through a friend, a hotline or an AI assistant — the time lost matters more than the language.
You may see the number 1339 in older articles as the “emergency medical information center”. That service was merged into 119 in June 2013. Today 1339 is the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency call center — 24 hours, for infectious-disease questions and reporting, with foreign-language support through a three-way call with 1345.
What the receptionist will ask
Korean clinic calls are short and follow a script. Have these ready, written down in Korean if you can: your name as it appears on your Alien Registration Card; your date of birth (they use it to find or create your file); whether you have National Health Insurance; what the problem is and since when; which day and time you prefer; whether it is your first visit (초진) or a return visit (재진); and a Korean mobile number for a confirmation text.
On insurance: since July 2019, foreigners who have stayed in Korea for six months or more with alien registration are enrolled in National Health Insurance automatically, and premiums are due whether or not you use it. If you are not covered, you can still be seen, but you pay the full price — ask for the cost when you book so there is no surprise at the desk.
Never give a passport number, ARC number, card number or password to a hotline volunteer or an AI assistant. The clinic can confirm identity when you arrive.
Korean phrases that work on the phone
You do not need full sentences; receptionists are used to short phrases. Say numbers slowly, one digit at a time, and dates as month then day.
- 예약하고 싶어요 (yeyak-hago sipeoyo) — I would like to make an appointment.
- 내일 오후에 가능해요? (naeil ohu-e ganeung-haeyo?) — Is tomorrow afternoon possible?
- 처음 가요 / 초진이에요 (cheoeum gayo / chojin-ieyo) — It is my first visit.
- 영어 하시는 분 계세요? (yeongeo hasineun bun gyeseyo?) — Is there someone who speaks English?
- 비용이 얼마예요? (biyong-i eolma-yeyo?) — How much does it cost?
- 뭘 가져가야 해요? (mwol gajeogaya haeyo?) — What should I bring?
- 천천히 말해 주세요 (cheoncheonhi malhae juseyo) — Please speak slowly.
- 문자로 보내 주실 수 있어요? (munja-ro bonae jusil su isseoyo?) — Could you send it by text?
- 외국인 등록증 있어요 (oegugin deungnokjeung isseoyo) — I have an Alien Registration Card.
When the phone call itself is the problem
If none of the above fits — the clinic has no online booking, the hotline interpreter is busy, and you simply cannot face the call — there is a fourth option: let an AI assistant make the call in Korean for you. With the 받아요 personal assistant you write what you need in English (or Nepali, Vietnamese, Chinese or Korean), the AI calls the clinic between 8:00 and 21:00 Korea time, introduces itself as an AI calling on your behalf, asks your questions, repeats the date and time back to confirm, and sends you the result in your language with the full conversation.
It will not make emergency calls, handle banking or identity checks, or file anything for you, and it answers only from what you wrote. The trial is three connected calls, free, with no card registration.
Frequently asked
Can I use 1345 to call a private clinic for me?
1345's three-way interpretation is designed for business with public bodies such as district offices, health centers and immigration. For a private clinic, try 1330, BBB Korea 1588-5644 or, if you are part of a multicultural family, Danuri 1577-1366 — or ask the clinic whether a staff member speaks English.
Do I need insurance or an Alien Registration Card to see a doctor?
No. You can be seen without either, but you pay the full price without National Health Insurance. Foreigners registered and staying six months or more are enrolled automatically (since July 2019). Bring your ARC or passport for identification.
Will a clinic hang up on an AI assistant?
Some do. The assistant always says it is an AI calling for you, and most receptionists simply answer the questions. If they decline, the result is marked as declined and you can try another clinic, call with a hotline interpreter, or book online.
If you would rather not make the call at all, write what you need in your own language and let the AI assistant call the clinic in Korean. Three connected calls are free, no card needed.