When a child becomes ill or injured during a trip, the first task is finding the right local service. In Korea, call 119 for an emergency. For a facility search, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency’s pediatric-fever information page directs families to the official E-Gen emergency medical portal for emergency departments, after-hours providers and Moonlight Children’s Hospitals. Check a listing and confirm details with the facility before travelling when the situation allows.

Do not rely on this page to assess symptoms, select medicine or decide whether a child can safely wait. If you are worried that the situation is urgent, call 119 or go to an emergency department.

Emergency or non-emergency: where to start

If the situation may be an emergency

Call 119 for emergency fire and ambulance services. Give the child’s location as precisely as possible: the address in Korean if available, a map pin, building or hotel name, floor, room, and a nearby entrance. If language is a barrier, ask another adult, hotel staff or venue staff to help communicate, but do not delay contacting emergency services to find an interpreter.

Do not assume a particular ambulance cost, language, dispatch time or hospital destination. The official materials reviewed for this guide do not establish a fee guarantee or a visitor-specific interpretation guarantee.

If you need a pediatric facility and it is not an emergency

Use E-Gen to look for an emergency department, a Moonlight Children’s Hospital or another listed after-hours provider. The KDCA’s pediatric-fever information page points families to E-Gen for these facility searches. Treat a search result as a lead: call the provider to confirm it is currently open, accepts the child’s age and needs, and can see the child before travelling.

A Moonlight Children’s Hospital is a designated pediatric provider for evening, weekend or holiday care. The participating locations and hours can vary. Do not assume every city has one, that a specific location is open now, or that it is always faster or cheaper than an emergency department.

For a routine visit during business hours, search for a nearby 소아청소년과 (so-a-cheongsonyeongwa, pediatrics) and contact the clinic first. A general clinic, an international-patient center and a pediatric emergency department are different services; do not assume that an adult-focused international center treats children.

What the phone numbers can and cannot do

  • 119 — Korea’s fire and ambulance emergency number. Use it for an emergency. The sources checked do not promise a particular language interpreter or ambulance fee.
  • E-Gen — the official emergency medical facility search portal referenced by KDCA for emergency departments and after-hours pediatric facilities. Its individual listings were not independently verified for this guide; confirm the facility directly.
  • 1339 — KDCA’s call center for disease and infectious-disease information. One Korean KDCA pediatric-fever page also mentions 1339 in its general consultation guidance, but KDCA’s English call-center page directs foreigners to 1345 and does not verify an English pediatric triage or hospital-finder service. Do not rely on 1339 as a guaranteed visitor medical-advice line.
  • 1330 — Korea Tourism Organization’s travel-information and tourist-interpretation service. It is not an emergency dispatcher or a substitute for a clinician. Use it for tourism-related interpretation when appropriate, not to delay urgent care.

Before you travel to a facility

If circumstances allow, call the provider and ask:

  1. Do you currently see children of this age for this problem?
  2. Are you open now, and should we go to this facility or an emergency department?
  3. Can you provide language help? If not, can we bring an interpreter by phone?
  4. What identification and payment methods should we bring? Can you provide a written estimate or explain insurance documents?
  5. Which entrance should we use, and is there any change to the listed hours or service?

Do not wait for answers if the situation is urgent; contact 119.

Pack a small child-health information note

Keep these details available on paper or on your phone:

  • Child’s name, date of birth and passport or other identification details.
  • Parent or guardian’s name and local phone number.
  • Allergies, existing conditions and relevant medical history.
  • Current medicines, with packages or labels and a note of what was taken and when. Do not rely on a brand name alone for a medication discussion.
  • Relevant vaccination or medical records and the travel-insurance assistance number.
  • Your current Korean address or map pin, plus the name of the hotel or accommodation.

A provider may ask for identification, payment or insurance information. Requirements can differ; confirm directly. Keep a record of the visit and ask the clinician or pharmacist about instructions, follow-up and whom to contact if the child’s condition changes.

Useful Korean words to show

  • 응급실 (eung-geup-sil) — emergency department
  • 소아청소년과 (so-a-cheongsonyeongwa) — pediatrics
  • 아이 진료 가능한가요? (ai jillyo ganeunghan-gayo?) — “Can you see a child?”
  • 영어 통역이 가능한가요? (yeongeo tongyeogi ganeunghan-gayo?) — “Is English interpretation available?”

Save the provider’s address or show the map pin to staff or a taxi driver. These phrases help you ask; they do not guarantee that a clinic has the requested service.

Official sources