What to Do in a Medical Emergency During Treatment in Korea (2026 Guide)

If an emergency occurs, call 119 or go to the nearest emergency room first — contacting your coordinator comes after that. A fever of 38°C or higher during chemotherapy, bleeding that won't stop, or difficulty breathing are signs you should never wait out.

Key Points

• Korea's emergency number is 119, which handles both ambulance requests and fire/rescue calls.
• 119 offers interpretation support in foreign languages, so once connected, simply state the language you speak and an interpreter will join the call.
• A fever of 38°C or higher during chemotherapy may indicate febrile neutropenia and should be treated as a time-critical situation (per National Cancer Center Korea and NCCN patient guidelines).
• In an emergency, reaching the nearest emergency room quickly matters more than whether it's the hospital where you're being treated — contacting your coordinator comes afterward.
• Emergency room costs are billed by the hospital, and overseas patients are generally expected to pay out of pocket.

What should you tell 119 when you call?

• Once connected, state the language you use (e.g., English, Русский, 中文) and an interpreter will be connected. There are three things you need to convey.
• Step 1: State where you currently are (the name of your accommodation or building).
• Step 2: Explain what has happened.
• Step 3: Let them know you are undergoing cancer treatment.
• The Korean-language accommodation address card you receive on your arrival day also lists your coordinator's contact information and the name of the hospital where you're being treated. Keep it on your phone's lock screen or in your wallet — showing it to paramedics or taxi drivers can be helpful.

Which symptoms count as emergency warning signs?

• If you develop a fever of 38°C or higher during chemotherapy, go to the emergency room without delay. Taking fever reducers and waiting it out is not recommended — even if the fever drops, the underlying infection may still be progressing, and in this situation, hours can determine the outcome. At the emergency room, the date of your last chemotherapy session and the names of your medications are the most critical information, so always carry a related card or handoff summary.
• Bleeding concerns include a nosebleed that doesn't stop after 20 minutes, vomiting blood, black or red-colored stools, blood in the urine, or a wound that keeps bleeding. Cancer patients may face higher bleeding risk due to low platelet counts, vascular invasion from tumors, or blood-thinning medication, so it's worth writing down the names and doses of any medications you're taking.
• Call 119 if you suddenly feel short of breath, experience chest pain, your lips turn blue, or one leg becomes swollen and painful along with breathlessness. Cancer patients face elevated risk of blood clots, and fluid buildup in the lungs or infection can also occur — new coughing or breathlessness during immunotherapy or targeted therapy should not be dismissed.
• Other warning signs requiring immediate contact include severe diarrhea that won't stop, suspected dehydration, clouded consciousness or weakness on one side of the body, a sudden severe headache or seizure, little to no urine output, pain that medication cannot control, and a surgical site that reopens or discharges pus.

What happens after you arrive at the emergency room?

• In life-threatening situations, the emergency room comes first and contacting your coordinator comes second — calling first and waiting for a response wastes valuable time.
• Step 1: Call 119 or go directly to the nearest emergency room.
• Step 2: After arriving at the emergency room, or after calling an ambulance, contact your coordinator.
• Step 3: From that point, your coordinator will help arrange interpretation, share information with the hospital where you've been receiving treatment, contact your family, and handle admission procedures and payment. Even outside business hours, emergencies are received and responded to, and VIP package clients have a dedicated manager available for contact 24 hours a day.
• If an emergency occurs after you've returned home, your local emergency room comes first. It's recommended to keep your multilingual handoff document and treatment summary within reach, so local medical staff can quickly understand your treatment history when you show it to them.

FAQ — Do I have to go to the emergency room of the hospital where I was being treated?

No. In an emergency, reaching the nearest emergency room quickly is the priority. Paramedics will transport you to a hospital that can accept you based on your condition and proximity — if you mention the name of the hospital where you're being treated, they'll take it into account, but depending on your condition, you may end up at a different hospital. After you arrive, your coordinator will share information with the hospital where you've been treated and discuss a transfer if necessary.

FAQ — Can I get reimbursed by insurance for emergency room costs?

If you obtain an English-language receipt, an itemized statement, and a medical certificate, you can file a claim with your insurer back home. However, coverage depends on your specific policy, so you must confirm this with your insurance company. Travel insurance often does not cover care related to a trip taken for treatment purposes, so checking in advance is essential.

Sources and Notes

• This article was prepared based on emergency situation notes (National Cancer Center Korea, Ministry of Health and Welfare, and NCCN patient guidelines) and post-return care guidance.
• This content is intended for general medical information purposes only. Diagnosis, treatment approach, and outcomes may vary depending on individual circumstances. Accurate diagnosis and treatment decisions should always be made in consultation with medical professionals.