You do not have to push through alone. Korea has counselling routes you can use with limited Korean, and simply knowing the number changes how quickly you recover.
If you are in danger now, call
- 112 / 119 — immediate safety threats or emergencies
- 109 — suicide prevention (unified into one number in 2024)
- 1577-0199 — mental health crisis line, 24 hours
- 129 — Health and Welfare call centre
- 1366 — Women's Emergency Hotline (domestic and sexual violence, stalking)
If your Korean is limited
The Danuri Helpline, 1577-1366, offers counselling and interpretation in 13 languages, and works alongside the numbers above.
Say that you need an interpreter first and they will connect one. You do not have to open in Korean.
Where to go when it is not urgent
- Students — your university's counselling centre or international office is the closest route and usually free
- In Seoul — the Seoul Global Center (02-2075-4180) offers free psychological counselling alongside other support
- Local mental health welfare centres also see foreign residents
The two things that stop people calling
First: counselling records do not count against your visa or residence status. This is the fear that most often delays the call.
Second: if you go on to need treatment, NHIS covers psychiatric care too. It is not all out of pocket.
It does not have to be solved in one call
Not getting an answer on the first call is normal. Saving the number is itself the first step — being able to find it when you need it is enough.
How each service works and what languages it covers is on the WeBring blog.