1330 and 120: Korea's Tourist Complaint Hotlines, Explained

The 1330 tourist hotline

1330 is Korea's dedicated tourist information and complaint hotline, run by the Korea Tourism Organization, offering multilingual support (including English) for a wide range of travel issues -- from general information to reporting overcharging, unfair treatment or a scam encountered during your trip. It's specifically set up with visiting travelers in mind, so it's usually the better first call for anything travel-related, including taxi and restaurant overcharging.

The 120 Dasan Call Center

120 is the Dasan Call Center, a broader municipal information and civil complaint line (Seoul's version is the most widely used), covering general city services and complaints, with multilingual support also available, though it's oriented more generally toward city administration than tourism specifically. For a complaint tied to a specific local business practice or a municipal service issue, 120 can be a useful supplementary channel alongside 1330.

Preparing your complaint for the best outcome

• Have the specific location, date, time and (for a taxi) the license plate number ready before you call.
• Keep any receipt, photo, or screenshot of a fare estimate as supporting documentation.
• Describe the specific issue clearly and briefly -- what was quoted or expected, and what was actually charged.
• Ask what follow-up, if any, you should expect, since resolution timelines vary by the type of complaint.

Both hotlines can also be reached via online chat or app in addition to phone, which is worth knowing if you're in a situation where making a phone call isn't practical -- checking the Korea Tourism Organization's official app or website for current contact channels before your trip is a useful five-minute preparation step.