Lost Something in Korea? How Foreigners Can Find Lost Items

Quick emergency protocol: choose the right channel

• Taxi: open the ride history in Kakao T, k.ride or Uber, or locate the card receipt and payment record. Record the pickup and drop-off times and the full license plate if available.
• Subway: tell station staff the line, direction, station where you exited, approximate time and car-door marker such as 4-3.
• Cafe, shop or hotel: contact the venue directly before filing a police report; the item may still be behind the counter.
• Street or unknown location: ask the nearest police box (파출소) or police station for help and search the national LOST112 database.

How to retrieve an item left in a taxi

1. Preserve the trip record. Save the app ride screen, card approval time, fare, pickup and drop-off points, receipt and license plate.
2. Use the app first. Open the completed ride and follow its lost-item or driver-contact flow. Do not post a driver’s phone number publicly.
3. For a street-hailed taxi, call the relevant payment or taxi operator. A card receipt may show the vehicle or company contact. Seoul’s official taxi guidance also directs travelers to the 120 Dasan Call Center for assistance; multilingual service hours are limited, so 1330 is a useful interpretation route.
4. Escalate safely. If direct recovery fails, search LOST112 or ask a police box to register the loss. Call 112 only for a crime or immediate police emergency, not as a routine lost-property inquiry.

Seoul subway lost-and-found steps

1. Go straight to the station office and give staff the line, travel direction, time and car-door number. Staff may be able to alert a station farther along the route.
2. Keep your transport-card transaction time and any platform photos. These details narrow the train and station window.
3. Follow the operator’s instructions for collection. Different lines have different operators and handover points, so do not rely on an old static list of five centers.
4. If the item is later transferred into the police network, search LOST112 using the found-item category, date, region and identifying details.

How foreigners can use LOST112

The Korean National Police LOST112 portal provides found-item search filters including category, date, found region, storage location and item identifiers. The site also offers English, Japanese and Chinese navigation. Search found items first; a separate loss-report function may require account or identity steps.

Photos can help, but never assume a similar-looking wallet or phone is yours. Note the management number and contact the listed storage location. Bring your passport or another accepted ID plus evidence of ownership, such as the device serial number, IMEI, distinctive contents, receipt or matching photo. For an insurance document, ask the police which formal loss-report certificate applies to your case.

Useful Korean phrases

Frequently asked questions

What is LOST112?

LOST112 is the Korean National Police lost-property system. It lets the public search found items held by participating police and public organizations and view the listed storage contact.

Should I contact LOST112 first?

Usually contact the taxi app, station office or venue first because newly found property may not appear in the national database immediately. Search LOST112 as the next channel and keep checking with precise dates and locations.

Where can I get language help?

Call 1330 within Korea or +82-2-1330 from overseas for Korea Travel Helpline information and interpretation support. For a police emergency call 112.