Coronavirus hotline information for expats

Call 1339 to avail of updates in eight languages about the coronavirus in Korea.

The number will put you through to the tourism hotline which provides translation services so you can speak to an official at the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) and a translator in a three-way call.

English, Japanese and Chinese services are available 24 hours everyday, while translation services for five other languages, Russian, Vietnamese, Thai, Malaysian and Indonesian, are available from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.

To get updates on the number of confirmed or suspected patients, or guidance for what to do if you suspect you may be infected, call 1339 and then press four.

The Korea Tourism Organization also runs an emergency hotline that provides translation services for foreign language speakers that need to contact the Korean National Police Agency or the National Fire Agency. It can be reached by dialing 1330.

BY LEE SUN-MIN [summerlee@joongang.co.kr]