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While traveling abroad, whether for a short or a long period of time, we sometimes find ourselves in unexpected and dangerous situations.

What should you do if you are the victim or witness of a robbery, assault or other crime while in South Korea? In this article we will look at the proper procedure to take.

Source: Interpol

If you find yourself in a dangerous situation or if you are the witness of a crime during your stay in South Korea, don't panic.

We will guide you through the procedures for reporting a crime as recommended by the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA).

You can report to the police if you worry about your own safety or the safety of your property, or if you are the victim or witness of improper behavior such as robbery, drunken brawl, sexual harassment or other dangerous behavior.

Should you have the unfortune to experience such a situation, you can call the Korean National Police's helpline. 

Where To Call

Source: onetvasia

There are two numbers that you need to know if you want to report a crime in South Korea: 112 for emergencies and 182 for non-emergencies.

Everyone should make sure to remember the emergency number 112. In addition to these numbers, the line for reporting cybercrimes is 118.

You don't need to type an area code when you call 112 or 182.

If you are using a public phone booth, you have to press the button that says "긴급 전화" (Emergency Call) first, then press 112 or 182, upon which you will be connected to the nearest emergency center. 

Procedure For Reporting A Crime

1. Inform of the need for an interpreter

Source: signupp

Being in a pressed situation can make it difficult to communicate in a foreign language.

Therefore, in order to give your report as detailed and correct as possible, you should first inform the helpline staff about the need for an interpreter. 

The Korean National Police have many interpreters, not only English, so ask if they have for the language that you feel most comfortable with.

2. Clearly state location

Source: Koreadramaland

It is very important to let the police know the location of the incident or crime. If you give them the wrong location, it will take them longer to find and assist you.

In case an emergency call suddenly gets cut off without any clearly stated location, staff will call the nearest police station to try and find you.

If you call 112, the system will be able to locate you automatically via your phone signal.

But it won't be able to pinpoint the location if you are using a foreign mobile number with roaming enabled, which is what many foreigner will use while in South Korea.

What you can do instead is to open a map application and take a screen shot of your location, and send it as a message to 112. Or you can share your location by doing a video call.

3. Give a detailed description of the incident

Source: Koreadramfashion

After an operator answers your call, it is important to detail the incident, letting them know when, where and how the incident have happened.

In addition, if you can remember the details such as vehicle registration numbers, number of the perpetrators or the culprit's characteristics, you should include this in your report.

After having reported, you will receive a text message to your phone within 3 minutes to confirm that your report was successful, and to urge you to answer the calls when they call you back. 

Things To Keep In Mind

1. In emergencies, you will likely be in a state of shock, which will affect your communication. Therefore, you should remember to take a deep breath and speak slowly in order to inform the staff as accurately as possible.

2. You should not touch or approach the scene of the incident before authorities arrive to collect evidence. Make sure to cooperate with the staff throughout the process.

3. Based on human rights principles, the police won't report you to the Immigration Office even if you are staying illegally in South Korea. Therefore foreigners who have entered the country illegally can also seek help from authorities without having to worry about being deported.

4. Calls to 112 will be recorded for follow-up purposes, but all information will be kept confidential.

5. You can ask for psychological counseling if you feel the need. 

Other Ways To Report

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1. Text messages

If you don't feel comfortable talking on the phone, you can notify 112 via SMS. Please note that if the text is not in Korean, it may take time for the police to translate, and they may not be able to reply to you immediately.

2. Report via app

If you are unable to make a call, you can instead report a crime via the app "112 긴급 신고". The app can be tricky to use as it is all in Korean. You also have to confirm your identity before reporting.

3. Safety e-Report

The app Safety e-Report (안전 신문고) can be used to report non-emergency situations, for example if you encounter a broken traffic light or manhole cover, you can take a picture and upload it to the app.

Source: Koreajoongangdaily

If you travel to Korea without a phone that can make calls or send messages, you can instead choose to seek help directly from an officer of the police or the tourist police. 

For more information, visit the website of the Korean National Police Agency here.

If you have questions or comments about the blog post, please leave a comment below or email us at help@creatrip.com.