Medical emergency & rescue
Call 119 in Korea for ambulance, rescue, fire, reduced consciousness, breathing difficulty, collapse, vomiting, or urgent medical symptoms.
Call 119EMERGENCY HELP
If spiking is suspected,
secure safety first.
This page provides urgent guidance for situations where spiking may have occurred. Before trying to determine the exact cause, prioritize physical safety, emergency reporting, medical connection, and evidence preservation.
If someone shows reduced consciousness, breathing difficulty, vomiting, collapse, confusion,
memory loss, or signs of sexual violence or assault, do not try to handle it alone.
If you are in Korea, call 119, 112, a trusted local emergency contact, or on-site safety personnel immediately.
KOREA EMERGENCY NUMBERS
This English guide is for
people currently in Korea.
The phone numbers below are Korean emergency and support numbers. They are provided for English-speaking visitors, residents, students, workers, and organizations in Korea. If you are outside Korea, do not rely on these numbers; call your local police, ambulance, emergency services, or a local sexual violence crisis hotline.
In Korea, emergency reporting is organized around 112 for police, 119 for fire·rescue·medical emergency,
and 110 for public service guidance. Foreign visitors may also use 1330 for multilingual travel and interpretation support.
Police & suspected crime
Call 112 in Korea if drugging, sexual violence, assault, coercion, forced movement, stalking, or another crime is suspected.
Call 112Travel hotline & interpretation
Foreign visitors can call 1330 for multilingual travel help and interpretation support. It can help when language is a barrier.
Call 1330Violence victim counseling
Call 1366 in Korea for counseling and support related to sexual violence, dating violence, stalking, and other violence-related harm.
Call 1366Multilingual crisis support
Danuri Helpline supports migrant women and multicultural families with crisis counseling, emergency support, and interpretation in multiple languages.
Call 1577-1366Non-emergency guidance
Use 110 in Korea for non-emergency public service guidance, institutional connection, complaints, and general public-service consultation.
Call 110
If you are using an overseas phone number or are calling from outside Korea, use the international format where applicable,
such as +82-112, +82-119, or +82-2-1330. In an immediate emergency inside Korea, calling 112 or 119 directly from a local phone is usually the fastest route.
KOREA RESPONSE PATHWAY
How to connect reporting,
medical care, and counseling in Korea.
In a suspected spiking case, it may be difficult to decide immediately whether it is a medical emergency, a crime report, or a counseling/support case. In Korea, use 119 for urgent medical help, 112 for suspected crime, 1366 for violence-victim counseling, and 110 for non-emergency public-service guidance.
Call 119 for reduced consciousness, breathing difficulty, collapse, or vomiting.
Do not try to prove the exact substance first. Explain the current symptoms, what was consumed or used, and when and where it happened.
Call 112 if drugging, sexual violence, assault, coercion, or forced movement is suspected.
Do not leave the person alone. Move to a safer area with trusted people or responsible staff, then report and preserve possible evidence.
Call 1366 for violence-victim counseling and support linkage.
1366 can support victims of sexual violence, dating violence, stalking, and other violence-related harm, including links to protection, medical, and legal services.
Use 110 when urgent dispatch is not needed.
For institutional guidance, complaints, and public-service consultation that does not require immediate emergency dispatch, use the 110 Government Call Center.
Foreign visitors may use 1330 as additional interpretation support.
The 1330 Korea Travel Helpline provides multilingual travel information and interpretation support. For immediate emergency dispatch, call 112 or 119 first.
Danuri Helpline 1577-1366 supports migrant women and multicultural families.
Danuri provides Korean-life information, crisis counseling, emergency support, interpretation, and related assistance for migrant women and multicultural families.
The key rule
If the person’s body or consciousness is at risk, call 119. If a crime is suspected, call 112. If the situation is too urgent to distinguish, call either number first. After reporting, do not leave the person alone and preserve possible evidence such as drinks, food, vapes, cups, bottles, packaging, messages, videos, and nearby CCTV locations where safely possible.
Official reference basis:
This pathway is summarized for people in Korea based on the Korean emergency reporting system for 112·119·110,
the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family 1366 service, the Korea Tourism Organization 1330 helpline,
and Danuri Helpline 1577-1366 guidance.
FIRST RESPONSE
Follow these 5 steps
in a suspected case.
In spiking situations, a person may have memory gaps or may not be able to explain clearly what happened. Bystanders should focus on protection and connection, not interrogation.
Do not leave the suspected victim alone.
Do not let them go alone to a restroom, outside area, vehicle, or accommodation. Move with them to a safer place with a trusted person or responsible staff member.
Stop further consumption or use immediately.
Stop using the suspected drink, food, inhaled item, vape, substance, cup, or bottle. Preserve it as it is whenever possible.
Call 119 for medical risk and 112 for suspected crime in Korea.
Medical risk comes first if there is breathing difficulty, reduced consciousness, collapse, or vomiting. Contact police and venue staff immediately if drugging, assault, or sexual violence is suspected.
Record time, place, movement, and evidence.
Write down when and where it happened, who was present, what was consumed or used, and what symptoms appeared afterwards.
Do not blame or pressure the victim.
Memory may be incomplete. Ask “Are you safe now?” and “Do you want medical or reporting support?” before asking detailed questions.
PRESERVE EVIDENCE
Preserve possible evidence
as much as safely possible.
Before throwing away or washing suspected items, seek guidance from medical professionals, police, or responsible staff. Evidence preservation is not about blaming the victim; it helps support safety, reporting, and later confirmation.
Items that may be important
Keep suspected items as close to their original state as possible and note who preserved them and when. Follow instructions from medical staff, police, or responsible personnel.
Why medical connection matters
Some substances may become difficult to detect as time passes. Even if symptoms appear mild, reduced awareness, memory loss, impaired judgement, or unusual physical symptoms should be treated seriously and connected to medical support as soon as possible.
Decisions about tests and medical care should be made with medical professionals or investigative authorities.
This center is not a medical provider and does not replace diagnosis or legal determination.
DO & DO NOT
Standards every bystander should follow
Bystander response can strongly affect the victim’s safety and the quality of later support.
Do
- Stay with the suspected victim and move them to a safer area.
- Connect quickly with 119, 112, venue staff, or safety personnel in Korea.
- Preserve suspicious drinks, cups, food, vapes, or other items.
- Record time, place, movement, symptoms, and people present.
- Prioritize the person’s safety, dignity, and choices.
Do not
- Leave the suspected victim alone or send them home alone.
- Assume it is “just alcohol” or dismiss the symptoms.
- Throw away or wash suspected items.
- Interrogate, blame, or shame the victim.
- Share photos, videos, or personal details without consent.
TEST TOOLS
Prevention tools are supporting resources.
They do not replace official reporting or medical care.
Test strips and similar tools may support awareness and education. A negative result does not guarantee safety, and detection scope can vary by product and substance.
In a suspected case, stop consumption regardless of any tool result, check the person’s condition,
and connect with emergency services, venue staff, or medical professionals. Prevention tools do not replace
legal evidence collection, medical testing, or investigative decisions.
NEED MORE SUPPORT?
Education and campaigns are for prevention before harm occurs.
This page provides basic emergency action guidance. For education, campaigns, and resource requests, please contact the center separately.