Mitra KoreaCalls to government offices come with a free interpreter: 1345 three-way interpreting, 1577-0071, 1577-1366, and what to do when a call is not covered
When you call a public office such as 고용센터 (Employment Center), immigration, 노동청 (Labor Office) or a public health center, 1345 or 1577-0071 will add a Nepali interpreter to your call. It is free. Calls with private people, such as your landlord, your boss or a hospital, are not covered by public interpreting, so you need another way.
📞Phone calls in Korean are hard?AI calls for you, negotiates price and dates, or interprets live. first 10 minutes free · Badayo, by the Mitra team›Quick summary
- If you need to call a public office (고용센터 (Employment Center), 출입국·외국인관서 (Immigration Office), 노동청 (Labor Office), public health center, 주민센터 (community service center), 국민건강보험공단 (National Health Insurance Service), 근로복지공단 (Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service)), the interpreter is free. First call one of these two numbers.
- 1345 Immigration Contact Center: It has Nepali counselors. It connects the office you want to call into a three-way call and interprets for you. Nepali is available on weekdays 09:00–18:00.
- 1577-0071 Foreign Workforce Counseling Center: Nepali counseling and three-way calls for problems with jobs, wages and your stay in Korea. 365 days, 09:00–18:00 (duty staff on Saturdays and public holidays).
- In an emergency, call 112 or 119 directly. For daily-life counseling, call 1577-1366 (Danuri Call Center).
- Calls with private people or companies, such as your landlord, your boss, a hospital, a shop or a delivery company, are not covered by public interpreting. 1345 only interprets for public office matters. For these calls, you need a way to have AI make the call for you or help from someone who can interpret.
- Before you call, write down your foreigner registration number, your company name and what you want to ask on paper. The interpreted call will finish much faster.
When does this apply?
- When you want to ask 고용센터 "Has my employment change report (고용변동신고) been filed?"
- When you want to ask immigration about the steps to change your address or get a new registration card
- When you want to check with 노동청 how your complaint is going
- When you want to ask 국민건강보험공단 why your insurance fee is so high
- When you want to ask 근로복지공단 about the status of your industrial accident (work injury) case
- When you want to ask a public health center about health check or vaccination dates
Which number to call: by situation
| Where I want to call | Number to call first | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 고용센터 (changing workplace, job search, job matching) | 1577-0071 → if it does not work, 1345 | Specializes in jobs, Nepali counselors, three-way calls |
| 노동청 (complaint about unpaid wages, labor inspection) | 1577-0071 or 1350 (Korean) | 1350 is counseling in Korean; for an interpreter, use 1577-0071 |
| 출입국·외국인관서 (stay, registration card, visa) | 1345 | Part of the Ministry of Justice, specializes in immigration matters |
| 국민건강보험공단, 근로복지공단, National Pension Service | 1345 three-way interpreting | Public institutions, so they are covered |
| 주민센터, public health center, city hall, district office | 1345 three-way interpreting | Local government matters |
| Police (counseling, not an emergency) | 1345 or 182 (police civil complaints, Korean) | |
| Marriage migrants, family, daily life in general | 1577-1366 Danuri Call Center | Daily-life counseling in many languages |
| Emergency (accident, fire, assault, medical emergency) | 112 / 119 directly | Do not wait for an interpreter. Report first. |
Steps: getting three-way interpreting through 1345
- Write down what you need. Your foreigner registration number, your company name and address, the name of the office you need, and 2–3 questions. You do not need to write in Korean. This is so you can answer right away when the interpreter asks.
- Call 1345. At the voice menu, choose Nepali (weekdays 09:00–18:00). You pay for the call (normal phone rate).
- Say: "I want to call ○○ and ask about ○○. Please give me three-way interpreting." If you need to say it in Korean: "삼자 통역 부탁드립니다 (samja tongyeok butakdeurimnida)".
- The interpreter calls the office and connects you. The interpreter puts your words into Korean and the office's words into Nepali. When it is your turn, speak briefly, one sentence at a time. This keeps it accurate.
- At the end, ask the interpreter to repeat the staff member's name, the phone number and what you must do next, and write them down.
1577-0071 works the same way. For job and wage problems, 1577-0071 is often faster.
What to prepare
- 외국인등록증 (foreigner registration card) (you often have to say the number)
- Photos of documents related to your question, such as 근로계약서 (employment contract) and 급여명세서 (pay slip)
- A list of questions (you can write it in Nepali)
- Paper and a pen for notes
Things to watch out for
- 1345 three-way interpreting is only for public office matters. It does not interpret calls with your landlord, a private hospital, a shop, a broker or your boss. For these calls, see When it is hard to make a phone call in Korean. 받아요 (Badayo), made by the same team as Mitra, has AI make the call in Korean for you, using the message you write in your own language (3 free calls).
- The interpreter only passes on words. They do not make reports or applications for you, and they do not give legal decisions. Questions with a clear answer, such as "Do I need this document?" or "When is the deadline?", work better with an interpreter than "What should I do?"
- Keep to the Nepali hours. At 1345, Nepali is not available after 18:00. 1577-0071 is open 09:00–18:00. At night, just write your notes and call in the morning.
- In an emergency, report first. With 112 and 119, reporting comes before interpreting. If you just say "도와주세요 (dowajuseyo)" ("Help me") in Korean and your address, they will come.
- Call cost: Counseling at both 1345 and 1577-0071 is free, but you still pay your normal mobile phone charges. If you do not have an unlimited plan, it is about tens of 원 for 1–2 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Q. I called 1345, but they said "That place is not covered by interpreting." A. Places that are not public offices, such as your landlord, a private hospital or a shop, are outside 1345's interpreting service. Even with a public office, if the department is busy, they may not be able to connect you right away. In that case, ask your question directly to the 1345 counselor. The counselor will answer as far as they know.
Q. Which is better, 1577-0071 or 1345? A. For jobs, wages, changing workplace and work injuries, use 1577-0071. For visas, registration cards and your stay in Korea, use 1345. Both have Nepali. If one line is busy, you can call the other.
Q. Does the interpreter record my situation? Will my company find out? A. What you say is used only for counseling. They do not tell your company. Even if you report unpaid wages, you are excluded from being reported to immigration (in effect from 2025-11-06).
Q. 고용센터 called me, but it was in Korean and I did not understand. A. Say "통역이 필요합니다. 1577-0071로 같이 걸어 주세요 (tongyeogi piryohamnida)" ("I need an interpreter. Please call 1577-0071 together with me."). Or hang up, call 1577-0071 and say "고용센터 called me. Please check what it was about." They will connect a three-way call. See Korean sentences for when 고용센터 calls you about a job match.
Where to get help
| Organization | Phone | What they do |
|---|---|---|
| Immigration Contact Center (외국인종합안내센터) | 1345 | Stay, visa, registration card; three-way interpreting with public offices; Nepali on weekdays 09:00–18:00 |
| Foreign Workforce Counseling Center (외국인력상담센터) | 1577-0071 | Jobs, wages, changing workplace; Nepali; three-way calls; 365 days 09:00–18:00 |
| Danuri Call Center (다누리콜센터) | 1577-1366 | Daily life and family counseling, many languages |
| 고용노동부 (Ministry of Employment and Labor) Customer Counseling Center | 1350 | Counseling in Korean (for an interpreter, use together with 1577-0071) |
| Emergency | 112 / 119 | Police / Fire and ambulance |