When You Don't Know Who to Call: How to Use 1345, 1350, 1577-0071, 132 and 1588-0075

What to prepare before you call

1. 외국인등록증 (Alien Registration Card). Keep it in front of you so you can read the 13-digit registration number.
2. Company name and address (you can find them on your 근로계약서 (employment contract) or 고용허가서 (employment permit)).
3. 급여명세서 (pay slip) or your bank account deposit records.
4. The date the problem started.
5. Paper and a pen (write down the counselor's name, the date, and what you were told).
6. A quiet place and about 30 minutes of time (you may have to wait).

First-words card

You can read the Korean sentences below just as they are. The pronunciation is written in Roman letters.

Korean	Pronunciation (Roman letters)	Meaning / when to use
외국인 근로자입니다. 네팔어 통역 부탁합니다.	oegugin geullojaimnida. nepareo tongyeok butakamnida.	"I am a foreign worker. Please give me a Nepali interpreter." First words for every number
월급을 못 받았습니다.	wolgeubeul mot badatseumnida.	"I did not get my pay." Unpaid wages
사업장 변경 상담하고 싶습니다.	saeopjang byeongyeong sangdamhago sipseumnida.	"I want advice about changing my workplace." When you want to move to another company
일하다가 다쳤습니다. 산재 신청하고 싶습니다.	ilhadaga dachyeotseumnida. sanjae sincheonghago sipseumnida.	"I was hurt at work. I want to apply for industrial accident compensation." Work injury
회사 이름은 ○○입니다.	hoesa ireumeun ○○imnida.	"My company's name is ○○." When you say your company
천천히 말해 주세요.	cheoncheonhi malhae juseyo.	"Please speak slowly." When you do not understand
다시 한번 말해 주세요.	dasi hanbeon malhae juseyo.	"Please say that again." When you do not understand
우리 회사 관할 노동청이 어디입니까?	uri hoesa gwanhal nodongcheongi eodiimnikka?	"Which 노동청 (regional labor office) is in charge of my company?" When you ask where to report

1345 외국인종합안내센터 (Immigration Contact Center)

• Run by: 법무부 출입국·외국인정책본부 (Ministry of Justice, Korea Immigration Service)
• When to call: Visa, period of stay, 외국인등록증, and daily life in general. Also "when you do not know who to ask." They do not solve labor problems directly. They tell you the right office.
• Hours: Weekdays 09:00–22:00. After 18:00, only Korean, English and Chinese. Closed on weekends.
• Languages: 20 languages, including Nepali. Choose the Nepali number in the voice menu.
• 3-way interpretation: There is an interpretation service where you, the 1345 counselor and another office talk together on one call. When you need to talk to an office that speaks only Korean, you can ask: "I need to call ○○. Please interpret for me."
• First words: "Please give me Nepali counseling." Then explain your problem.
• If you cannot get through: From outside Korea, call +82-2-1345. Look for help on 하이코리아 (HiKorea, hikorea.go.kr), or visit the nearest 출입국·외국인관서 (immigration office).

1577-0071 외국인력상담센터 (Foreign Workforce Counseling Center)

• Run by: 한국산업인력공단 (Human Resources Development Service of Korea)
• When to call: All company problems while you work under the Employment Permit System (E-9). Pay, changing workplace, employment contract, dormitory, verbal abuse, getting ready to go home. You do not need to speak Korean. For labor problems, calling this number first is the fastest way.
• Hours: 365 days a year, 09:00–18:00. They answer on weekends and public holidays too.
• Languages: Counseling in the languages of Employment Permit System countries, including Nepali (18 languages).
• First words: "Nepali, please." If the counselor changes, explain your problem again from the beginning.
• What to prepare: Alien registration number, company name, 고용허가서 or 근로계약서.
• If you cannot get through: You can visit them at 서울특별시 강남구 영동대로2길 16 삼성빌딩 3층 (Samsung Building, 3rd floor). There is also information on the Employment Permit System website (eps.hrdkorea.or.kr).
• Good to know: This center gives counseling, information and interpretation. The place that accepts official complaints (진정, a formal complaint against your employer) is the 노동청. If they tell you after counseling, "File a complaint with the 노동청," read How to report unpaid wages.

1350 고용노동부 Customer Center — "What do I say when I call 1350?"

• Run by: 고용노동부. You pay for the call.
• When to call: When you need an exact answer about labor law. Minimum wage, overtime pay, 퇴직금 (severance pay), rules for changing workplace, where the 노동청 and 고용센터 (Job Center) in charge of your company are, how to file a complaint.
• Hours: Weekdays 09:00–18:00. Closed on weekends and public holidays.
• Languages: Korean. There is no foreign-language counseling.

If Korean is hard for you, there are three ways.

1. Call together with a co-worker or friend who speaks Korean. Turn on the speakerphone.
2. Call 1345 first and ask: "I need to talk with 1350. Please interpret for me."
3. Get counseling in Nepali at 1577-0071 first. Then ask for an interpreter when you go to the 노동청. 고용노동부 has multilingual counselors and interpreters at its local offices (노동청, 고용센터). Before you go, call and ask, "Do you have an interpreter?"

When a counselor answers, speak in this order.

1. "I am a foreign worker. I have E-9."
2. One problem: "It is about changing my workplace." or "I did not get my pay."
3. Company name and area: "My company's name is ○○. It is in ○○ city."
4. One question: "Which 노동청 is in charge of my company?" or "How do I file a complaint?"
5. Before the call ends, write down the counselor's name and today's date.

• If you cannot get through: You can use online counseling and a chatbot at 1350.moel.go.kr. File complaints on the Labor Portal (labor.moel.go.kr). Find 고용센터 locations on 고용24 (Work24, work24.go.kr).

132 대한법률구조공단 (Korea Legal Aid Corporation)

• Run by: 대한법률구조공단
• When to call: When the company still does not pay after you filed a complaint, when you need a lawsuit or a payment order (a court order telling the company to pay), or when a counselor said the word "lawsuit."
• Hours: Phone counseling on weekdays 09:00–11:50 and 13:00–17:50. You pay for the call. From outside Korea, call 82-54-132.
• Languages: Korean. Call with someone who speaks Korean, or use 3-way interpretation through 1345.
• Free service condition: Foreign workers whose average monthly pay for the last 3 months before the unpaid wages was under 4,000,000 원 get free counseling and a free lawyer for the lawsuit. Most E-9 workers meet this condition.
• First words: "I am a foreign worker. I want advice about a lawsuit for unpaid wages."
• Good to know: On the phone they give only simple advice. To have them take your case, you must book a visit. Book at least one day before the day you want, through the website (klac.or.kr), by calling 132, or through the chatbot. Visit counseling is on weekdays 09:00–18:00 (lunch 12:00–13:00). Video counseling is also available.
• What to prepare: 외국인등록증, 근로계약서, 급여명세서, bank records, and the document from the 노동청 that confirms your unpaid wages (if you have it).

1588-0075 근로복지공단 (Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service)

• Run by: 근로복지공단
• When to call: When you get hurt or sick from work. How to apply for industrial accident compensation, hospital costs, the status of your sick-leave payment (휴업급여, pay while you cannot work), checking if you are enrolled in industrial accident insurance and employment insurance.
• Hours: Weekdays 09:00–18:00. Closed on weekends and public holidays.
• Voice menu: Press 1 for insurance enrollment and insurance fees, 2 for accident compensation, medical treatment and rehabilitation, 3 for branch office information. If you were hurt, press 2.
• Languages: Korean. There is no foreign-language menu, so it is better to use 1577-0071 or 1345 interpretation first.
• First words: "I was hurt at work. Please tell me how to apply for industrial accident compensation."
• Good to know: Even if the company refuses to handle the accident claim, the worker can apply directly. The steps are in How to apply for industrial accident compensation when you are hurt at work.
• If you cannot get through: Use online counseling at comwel.or.kr (answers within 3 days for general questions, 5 days for legal questions). Press 3 in the voice menu to find the nearest branch. In an emergency, call 119 first.

Be careful

• All the numbers above give free counseling. You pay only for the call. If someone asks you for money, it is not an official office.
• Even if one place says "no," ask again at another number. Each office handles different things.
• Write down the counseling date, the counselor's name and what you were told. This can be evidence later.
• Even if the company tells you not to call, getting counseling is your right as a worker.
• Even if you report unpaid wages, the labor inspector does not report you to immigration (from 2025-11-06).

Frequently asked questions

Q. I called 1350, but it was only in Korean, so I hung up. A. Call 1577-0071. They give the same counseling in Nepali. If you really need 1350, ask 1345 for 3-way interpretation.

Q. In what order should I call about labor problems? A. 1577-0071 (counseling in Nepali) → if needed, 1350 (exact legal information) → complaint to the 노동청 → if the company still does not pay, 132 (lawsuit).

Q. The line is always busy. A. Call again at a different time, or use online counseling. 1345 answers until 22:00, and 1577-0071 answers on weekends too.

Q. Will my company find out if I get counseling? A. Counseling alone does not lead to anyone contacting your company. If you file a complaint, a labor inspector investigates the company, and then the company will know.

Q. I am undocumented. Can I still call? A. You can get counseling about unpaid wages, work injuries and violence no matter what your visa status is.

Where to get help

Number	Office	Languages	Hours
1345	외국인종합안내센터 (Immigration Contact Center)	20 languages (Nepali)	Weekdays 09:00–22:00
1577-0071	외국인력상담센터 (Foreign Workforce Counseling Center)	18 languages (Nepali)	365 days 09:00–18:00
1350	고용노동부 Customer Center	Korean	Weekdays 09:00–18:00
132	대한법률구조공단 (Korea Legal Aid Corporation)	Korean	Weekdays 09:00–11:50, 13:00–17:50
1588-0075	근로복지공단 (Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service)	Korean	Weekdays 09:00–18:00

Numbers for other offices are in All help contacts.