June 2019
Contents
While in Korea · Written by Min Yea-Ji Illustrated by Yuhaill
Emergency
Jessie loves Korea and considers it a safe country,
but what she¡¯d do in the event of an emergency makes her
a little nervous. With the help of her friends
Pedro and Su-hyeon, she learns about what to do
in such a situation while in Korea.
Jessie: One thing I really like about Korea is that it¡¯s safe, and so I can roam around freely at night.
Su-hyeon: True. A lot of foreign residents commend the country¡¯s safe streets at night.
Jessie: Yeah, but what if something dangerous happens to me late at night? We might witness such an incident, if not become a victim. This thought scares me, especially since I¡¯m not fluent in Korean.
Su-hyeon: You can call 112 to report a crime to police or 119 to request ambulance service from the fire department or a medical emergency center. There¡¯s also a 119 app you can download on your smartphone.
Jessie: Oh, that¡¯s a good idea.
Su-hyeon: The app is called ¡®119 ½Å°í (119 Multichannel Emergency Reporting System)¡¯. You can report your location by just activating the GPS and touching the app and notify authorities of your situation simply by making a video call and showing your surroundings on the screen. So you should be fine even if you don¡¯t speak Korean well.
Su-hyeon: True. A lot of foreign residents commend the country¡¯s safe streets at night.
Jessie: Yeah, but what if something dangerous happens to me late at night? We might witness such an incident, if not become a victim. This thought scares me, especially since I¡¯m not fluent in Korean.
Su-hyeon: You can call 112 to report a crime to police or 119 to request ambulance service from the fire department or a medical emergency center. There¡¯s also a 119 app you can download on your smartphone.
Jessie: Oh, that¡¯s a good idea.
Su-hyeon: The app is called ¡®119 ½Å°í (119 Multichannel Emergency Reporting System)¡¯. You can report your location by just activating the GPS and touching the app and notify authorities of your situation simply by making a video call and showing your surroundings on the screen. So you should be fine even if you don¡¯t speak Korean well.
Pedro: What if I get sick late at night?
Su-hyeon: I guess it depends on the type of illness, but you can get over-the-counter medicine for fever or indigestion at convenience stores, most of which are open 24 hours a day. Or just look up ¡°Pharm 114¡± on the web to find one nearest to your house.
Pedro: I¡¯m covered by Korea¡¯s national health insurance.
Jessie: So am I. My school recommended that foreign students apply for national health insurance, so I did. My friend Yuta suddenly came down with a terrible stomachache past midnight and was sent to the emergency room. He had to get several checkups. Thank goodness he was covered by health insurance, otherwise he would¡¯ve had to pay a lot.
Su-hyeon: I always recommend that foreign residents in Korea get health insurance. They can apply for either the national or private insurance. Regardless of which you apply for, you must submit a copy of your alien registration card or any other document that proves that you live in Korea. For international students, a certificate of school enrollment is also required.
Pedro: I¡¯ve lived in Korea for seven years and I¡¯ve gotten a health checkup here before.
Su-hyeon: Local governments also provide free medical service to foreign laborers or multicultural families.
Su-hyeon: I guess it depends on the type of illness, but you can get over-the-counter medicine for fever or indigestion at convenience stores, most of which are open 24 hours a day. Or just look up ¡°Pharm 114¡± on the web to find one nearest to your house.
Pedro: I¡¯m covered by Korea¡¯s national health insurance.
Jessie: So am I. My school recommended that foreign students apply for national health insurance, so I did. My friend Yuta suddenly came down with a terrible stomachache past midnight and was sent to the emergency room. He had to get several checkups. Thank goodness he was covered by health insurance, otherwise he would¡¯ve had to pay a lot.
Su-hyeon: I always recommend that foreign residents in Korea get health insurance. They can apply for either the national or private insurance. Regardless of which you apply for, you must submit a copy of your alien registration card or any other document that proves that you live in Korea. For international students, a certificate of school enrollment is also required.
Pedro: I¡¯ve lived in Korea for seven years and I¡¯ve gotten a health checkup here before.
Su-hyeon: Local governments also provide free medical service to foreign laborers or multicultural families.
Su-hyeon: I went to the homepage of Safe Korea Education (http://kasem.safekorea.go.kr). Its content is available in several foreign languages, so I¡¯d recommend you read it and tell your other foreign friends about it as well.
Pedro: You can also download the app ¡®¾ÈÀüµðµõµ¹ (Emergency Ready) ¡¯ on your smartphone. It texts you warnings of a forest fire, cold wave or another danger in English or Chinese.
Jessie:Oh, I see. Thanks.
Pedro: You can also download the app ¡®¾ÈÀüµðµõµ¹ (Emergency Ready) ¡¯ on your smartphone. It texts you warnings of a forest fire, cold wave or another danger in English or Chinese.
Jessie:Oh, I see. Thanks.
Jessie: The best-case scenario is if we never get sick and or face an emergency. But I feel more at ease now that I know what to do in an emergency.
Su-hyeon: I think Pedro knows more about these things than I do. Please tell me more, too.
Pedro: OK, I¡¯ll be sure to share more information like this.
Su-hyeon: I think Pedro knows more about these things than I do. Please tell me more, too.
Pedro: OK, I¡¯ll be sure to share more information like this.
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