1330 Korea Travel Hotline: How to Call and Chat — Korea How Now guide

1330 Korea Travel Hotline (2026): How to Call and Chat

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Last checked: October 21, 2026 · Sources: Korea Tourism Organization (VisitKorea, knto.or.kr), Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Korean National Police Agency, linked below.

The 1330 Korea travel hotline is the Korea Tourism Organization’s help line for visitors: travel information, interpretation and tourist complaints, by phone or chat. Dial 1330 from any phone in Korea, with no area code, or +82-2-1330 from abroad. It runs in 8 languages and is open every day of the year.

If you have data but no Korean number, use the free online call or a chat app instead.

How do you reach 1330?

Where you are What to do Cost
In Korea, Korean SIM or eSIM with a number Dial 1330 Not officially stated; treat it as a normal call
Outside Korea Dial +82-2-1330 Set by your carrier
Anywhere with Wi-Fi or data “Start a FREE Online Call” on the VisitKorea 1330 page Free on Wi-Fi; data charges may apply
Anywhere, prefer typing 1330 web chat (no download), KakaoTalk, LINE, WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger Free apart from your data

You don’t need an area code anywhere in Korea. The single national 1330 line started on October 1, 2012. Before that, mobile callers had to dial the regional code first, which is why some older guides still say “area code + 1330”. That advice is out of date.

Which way to reach 1330: Korean number, dial 1330 with no area code; no Korean number but data, free online call on VisitKorea's 1330 page; prefer typing, web chat, KakaoTalk, LINE, WhatsApp or Messenger; outside Korea, +82-2-1330; Russian, Vietnamese, Thai or Malay/Indonesian, phone only 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; crime, fire or injury, call 112 or 119
Drawn by us from VisitKorea, Korea Tourism Organization and Korean National Police Agency pages (checked October 21, 2026).

Which languages does 1330 speak?

The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) lists 8 languages:

  • Korean
  • English
  • Japanese
  • Chinese
  • Russian
  • Vietnamese
  • Thai
  • Malay/Indonesian (VisitKorea’s immigration page says Malay; KTO’s July 2026 release says Indonesian)

English is the line’s busiest language: 27% of about 240,000 inquiries in KTO’s January 2023 to May 2024 count.

Is 1330 open 24 hours?

KTO’s July 2026 release says the service runs every day of the year. It doesn’t say 24 hours. KTO’s customer service standard says Russian, Vietnamese, Thai and Malay/Indonesian are phone-only and run 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. KTO’s tourism data portal lists the service as 7:00 a.m. to midnight. Because KTO’s own pages disagree, don’t count on a reply in the middle of the night.

Our take: try the chat first if you write Korean, English, Japanese or Chinese. KTO’s service standard lists chat in those four languages only. It costs nothing on Wi-Fi, and you end up with a written answer you can show a driver or a hotel clerk.

How do you use the chat?

  1. Open the 1330 Travel Helpline page on VisitKorea.
  2. Pick a channel under Online Chat. The 1330 web chat runs in your browser with no app. KakaoTalk, LINE, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger open the app on your phone.
  3. Type your question with the place name, address or a photo of the sign or menu you’re stuck on.

Chat works without a Korean phone number. That makes it the easiest choice on a data-only eSIM. If you are still choosing how to get online, see eSIM vs USIM vs pocket Wi-Fi and apps that work without a Korean number.

What can 1330 help with?

VisitKorea lists three jobs: tourist information, interpretation and tourist complaints. KTO also says the line helps with emergencies during a trip and with language barriers.

Taxis, hotels, buses and getting from the airport are what people ask about most, KTO’s inquiry data shows. Before you call or type, have the right thing ready:

Your problem Best channel Have this ready
Can’t find your hotel or the right bus Chat Hotel name and address, or a photo of the sign or stop you’re at
A taxi driver or shop can’t understand you Phone or the free online call (interpretation) The address or what you want, written down
Overcharged or treated badly Phone, the complaint form or email Receipt, photo, taxi number, time and place
Need a written answer to show someone Chat (Korean, English, Japanese or Chinese) Your question with the place name
Crime, fire, accident or illness 112 or 119, not 1330 Where you are; stay on the line and say your language

How do you report a problem as a tourist?

1330 is also KTO’s Tourist Complaint Center. KTO accepts reports about illegal or unfair practices at tourist facilities or transport, overcharging and rude service.

You can report in three ways:

  1. Call 1330 in Korea or +82-2-1330 from abroad.
  2. Fill in the form at the Tourist Complaint Center, available in English, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, Russian, Malay and Indonesian.
  3. Email tourcom@knto.or.kr.

Attach receipts, photos or a taxi number if you have them. KTO says urgent cases can be reported without proof. Your complaint is passed to the department in charge, investigated, and you get a reply when it’s resolved.

When should you call 112 or 119 instead?

1330 is a travel line, not an emergency service. The Korean National Police Agency lists these numbers for foreigners:

Number For
112 Reporting a crime (police)
119 Fire, accidents, rescue and emergency medical help
1345 Immigration contact center for foreigners
1330 Tourist information

The National Fire Agency says it can locate 119 callers who use a mobile phone; it says this on the page for its U-Safety Call service. Whether 112 and 119 have their own interpreters is not something we could confirm on the police or fire agency sites. If you can’t explain yourself, stay on the line and say which language you speak.

Part of our Arriving in Korea guide.

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