Was 119 always Korea’s ambulance number?

Today, 119 is the number Koreans associate with fires, rescues and medical emergencies. But the National Archives says it began as a fire-reporting number and gradually expanded as fire stations took on ambulance and rescue work.

IT STARTED WITH FIRES

The National Archives describes 119 as originally the fire-reporting number. Seoul organized fire-station ambulance teams in 1982, expanding the emergency role of the service.

BEFORE EVERYTHING BECAME 119

Emergency medical information also used 129 for a time. In the 1990s the government decided to consolidate the fire and emergency-medical systems under 119, with integration implemented from 1997.

Sources & context

2026-09-18

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