How do you talk to a doctor in Korea if you don't speak Korean?
Large hospitals in Korea often have an international clinic with coordinators who speak English and other languages, but most local clinics do not. Without one, you can call a public interpretation line, bring a friend who speaks Korean, use a translation app for simple things, or use a live medical interpreter on your phone such as Verata. In an emergency, call 119.
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A hospital with an international clinic
Many university and general hospitals, especially in Seoul, run an international healthcare center. Its coordinators book your appointment, come into the consultation with you and help with payment and insurance paperwork. Which languages they cover differs from hospital to hospital, so ask when you book.
The catch is that it is a big hospital. For a cold, a tooth or a skin problem you usually go to a local clinic, and local clinics rarely have anyone who speaks your language.
Public phone lines
- 1330, the Korea Travel Hotline of the Korea Tourism Organization: travel information and interpretation help for foreign visitors, in several languages including English, Russian and Vietnamese. It is a travel line, not a medical service, and its hours differ by language.
- 1577-1366, the Danuri Helpline: set up for marriage migrants and multicultural families. It offers phone interpretation, including for hospital visits, in about 15 languages, among them English, Russian and Vietnamese.
- 1345, the Immigration Contact Center: questions about visas and your stay in Korea, in about 20 languages. It is not a medical line.
A phone line helps with a short exchange. For a whole consultation it is slow: every sentence goes through a third person on a speakerphone, and the lines have their own hours and queues.
A friend or colleague who speaks Korean
The most common answer, and a good one when the friend is free. The downsides: the visit has to fit their schedule, you may not want to tell them about your symptoms, and everyday Korean does not include the names of diagnoses and medicines.
A translation app
Papago, Google Translate or ChatGPT are fine for booking an appointment or a simple question at reception. In the consultation itself they make you type or hold a button while the doctor waits, and a general translator can get a medical term or a dose wrong without anyone noticing.
A live medical interpreter on your phone
Verata is a medical interpreter in your phone. Put it between you and the doctor and both of you speak your own language: it translates out loud and shows every sentence on the screen, uses a glossary for the doctor's specialty, and shows the doctor in Korean how your words were understood, so a mistake can be caught in the room. After the visit you get a summary in your language and in Korean. It opens in the browser, with nothing to install.
Languages: Korean with English, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese or Thai.
In an emergency
Call 119 for an ambulance and follow the staff. Do not stop to set up a translator.
Short answers
Do Korean doctors speak English?
Many doctors read medical English well, since textbooks and records use it, but holding a whole consultation in English is another matter. At a local clinic, do not count on it.
Is there an interpreter for foreigners at Korean hospitals?
Large hospitals with an international clinic have coordinators. Local clinics usually do not. Public lines such as 1330 and 1577-1366 offer interpretation by phone.
Can I bring my own interpreter or a friend?
Yes. Tell reception at the start that someone will translate for you.
How much does Verata cost?
The first 30 minutes are free once you create an account, and you can try it before that without signing up.
Is the conversation kept?
During the beta the text of each conversation is kept for 30 days, so you can come back to it and to the summary, and then it is deleted. The clinic does not see it.
Verata is machine interpreting: not a certified interpreter and not medical advice. Repeat every dose, date and amount back to the doctor. During the beta the text of each conversation is kept for 30 days and then deleted. How long data is kept