When a phone call in Korean is hard: real-time interpreter calls and how to let someone handle price and date bargaining for you

When does this apply to you?

• When you must tell your landlord the boiler or water pipe is broken, and set a date for the repair
• When you must ask a moving company for a price and get the price lowered
• When you must change the date or time of a hospital appointment
• When the other person speaks Korean fast and it is hard to know what you agreed to

First, check the free official numbers

Number	What they help with	Languages and hours
1345 외국인종합안내센터 (Immigration Contact Center)	Advice on visas, stay and daily life. 3-way interpreting for calls with central government agencies, local governments, public institutions and non-profit organizations	20 languages (including Nepali). Weekdays 09:0022:00; Nepali on weekdays 09:0018:00. Closed on weekends and public holidays. You pay for the call
1577-0071 외국인력상담센터 (Migrant Worker Counseling Center)	Advice on jobs, stay and going home. Real-time interpreting and 3-way calls. When you and your boss cannot understand each other	Many languages, including Nepali. 365 days, 09:00~18:00 (on Saturdays and public holidays, staff on duty)
1577-1366 다누리콜센터 (Danuri Call Center)	Daily life information, 3-way interpreting calls (one person speaks at a time), crisis counseling	13 languages (including Nepali). 365 days, 24 hours

According to the official information, 1345's 3-way interpreting is for calls with government agencies, public institutions and non-profit organizations. The official information does not say if calls with landlords, private hospitals or shops are also covered. For these calls, ask 1345 first. 다누리콜센터 is for immigrants and multicultural families, and it offers 3-way interpreting calls. Call them to check which calls they can help with.

The free numbers help with interpreting. But you must do the bargaining yourself, such as lowering the price or agreeing on a date. When you go through an interpreter, each exchange takes time, so bargaining can be hard.

Three ways to use the AI phone assistant "Badayo"

Please know this first. Badayo is run by the same team that made Mitra Korea. So this guide is not an advertisement. It honestly says what Badayo can and cannot do. If the free official numbers are enough for you, use them.

These points apply to all three ways:

• When the call starts, the AI tells the other person: "I am an AI assistant calling on behalf of ○○." The call is recorded.
• It only calls Korean numbers, and only between 08:00~21:00.
• Your first 3 connected calls are free. You do not need to register a card. As of 2026-10-18, the price after that has not been decided. The page says you will not be charged until it is decided. Check the page again before you use it.
• If the other person calls back, the AI answers and sends you a note in your language.

1. Questions and bookings The AI asks your questions, makes or confirms a booking, and then tells you the result in your language. More details are in When it is hard to make a phone call in Korean.

2. Negotiation and arranging The AI bargains over price, date and conditions. You write three things:

1. The result you want most (example: full-service packing move on November 8~9 for 45만 원)
2. Your limit = the most you can accept (example: 55만 원 at most, and only November 8~9). The AI does not agree to anything outside this limit. It also does not say your limit number first.
3. What you can offer in return (example: you can move on a weekday, you will pack your things in advance)

If you choose "You can ask me on this screen during the call," the AI asks you on the screen when the other person brings up a new condition (extra cost, a different date). You press a button or write a short answer. The AI only goes as far as agreeing on the conditions. It does not pay, send money or sign anything.

3. Real-time interpreting The AI becomes your interpreter. Keep the screen on. When the call connects, write what you want to say in Nepali. The AI says it to the other person in Korean. The other person's answer is translated and shown on your screen. The AI does not answer on its own for you. It passes on your words exactly. For now, it works by writing, not by speaking.

As of 2026-10-18, Negotiation and arranging and Real-time interpreting are new features. Always check the results again.

Three examples

Example 1. Asking the landlord to repair the boiler (Negotiation and arranging)

• Result you want: a repair worker visits within this week
• Limit: next Monday at the latest
• What you can offer: you are home on weekdays after 7 p.m.; you can allow the worker to enter when you are not home
• Result: the AI tells you the agreed visit date and time, with the day of the week. If there is a disagreement about who pays for the repair, the AI does not agree to anything and writes it in the result as it is.

Example 2. Bargaining over a moving price (Negotiation and arranging)

• Result you want: November 8~9, full-service packing move for 45만 원
• Limit: 55만 원 at most, and only November 8~9
• What you can offer: moving on a weekday, packing your things in advance
• If the company says "If there is no elevator, it is 5만 원 extra," the AI asks you on the screen: "Do you accept the extra 5만 원?" You pay the deposit (down payment) yourself.

Example 3. Changing a hospital appointment time (Real-time interpreting)

• You write on the screen in Nepali: "I want to change my appointment from tomorrow at 10 a.m. to Friday afternoon."
• The AI says it in Korean, and the hospital's answer ("Friday at 3 p.m. is possible") appears on the screen in Nepali.
• If you write "Please book that time," the AI passes it on exactly.

What to prepare

• The other person's Korean phone number and name (or shop name)
• Information the other person may ask for, such as your name and address
• For negotiation: the result you want, your limit, and what you can offer
• For interpreting: a phone screen you can keep on for the whole call

Be careful

• It does not handle legal disputes. The AI does not bargain over unpaid wages, 퇴직금 (severance pay), disputes about getting your deposit back, traffic accident settlement money, or compensation for damages. Under the Attorney-at-Law Act (변호사법), a person who is not a lawyer must not settle or act in a legal case for payment. For wage problems, use 1350 or 1577-0071. For legal advice, use 대한법률구조공단 at 132 (free advice, also for foreigners living in Korea). Also see How to report unpaid wages.
• It does not make reports or applications for you. You must file a complaint (진정) with 고용노동부 (Ministry of Employment and Labor) or a request at 출입국·외국인관서 (immigration office) yourself. The AI can ask an office about times and documents.
• In an emergency, call 112 or 119 yourself.
• Do not write passwords, verification codes or bank account passwords. The AI does not make calls for banking or for checking your identity.
• The other person may say "I will not talk to an AI." In that case, get help from a free interpreter number or a coworker who speaks Korean.
• For any agreement that involves money, also get the result by text message. You can ask the company: "Please send it by text message."

Frequently asked questions

Q. If I call 1345, will they interpret my call with my landlord too? A. According to the official information, 1345's 3-way interpreting is for calls with government agencies, local governments, public institutions and non-profit organizations. Calls with landlords are not in the official information. Ask 1345 first if they can help. 다누리콜센터 1577-1366 also offers 3-way interpreting calls.

Q. What if the AI agrees to a price higher than my limit? A. The AI is set so that it does not agree to anything outside your limit. When a new condition comes up, it asks you on the screen first. Still, when you get the result, check the amount and date again, and also get it from the company by text message.

Q. Can the AI bargain with my boss to get my unpaid salary? A. No. Unpaid wages are a legal dispute, so the AI does not handle it. Get advice from 1350 or 1577-0071, and file the complaint yourself. For free legal advice, call 132.

Q. In interpreting mode, do I speak? A. As of 2026-10-18, you write on the screen. The AI says your text in Korean, and translates the other person's words and shows them on the screen.

Q. Water is leaking in my home at 10 p.m. Can I give this to the AI? A. The AI only calls between 08:00~21:00. If it is dangerous, call 119. If it is not urgent, ask 다누리콜센터 1577-1366 (24 hours) if they can interpret for you, or try again in the morning.

Where to get help

Number / address	Organization	What they do
1345	외국인종합안내센터	Nepali on weekdays 09:00~18:00, 3-way interpreting with government and public institutions and others
1577-0071	외국인력상담센터	Company problems, Nepali, 3-way calls, 365 days 09:00~18:00
1577-1366	다누리콜센터	13 languages (Nepali), 3-way interpreting calls (one person speaks at a time), 365 days 24 hours
1350	고용노동부 고객상담센터 (Ministry of Employment and Labor Customer Counseling Center)	Wage and work problems
132	대한법률구조공단	Free legal advice
callops.hyeongeonnoil.com/personal/ne	Badayo (받아요) – AI phone assistant (same team as Mitra Korea)	Questions and bookings, Negotiation and arranging, Real-time interpreting. Korean numbers, 08:00~21:00

Other numbers are in List of places to get help.