One Korean helpline never closes. Dial 1577-1366 and someone answers at three in the morning, on a Sunday, on a public holiday, in fifteen languages. But whether it is the right number for you depends on who you are, and the law is specific about that.
The Danuri Call Center (다누리콜센터) was set up under Article 11-2 of the Multicultural Families Support Act. The law says the ministry runs it to provide multilingual counseling and interpretation to marriage immigrants and their families. A marriage immigrant, in Korean law, is a foreign resident who is married to a Korean national — or who has been married to one. A divorce does not remove you from that definition.
If that describes you, this line does far more than answer questions. If it does not, the last section points you to the number that fits.
Who the line is for
Rules verified September 2026 · Multicultural Families Support Act Articles 2 and 11-2 · Framework Act on Treatment of Foreigners Residing in the Republic of Korea Article 2
Two laws set the terms between them. One defines who a marriage immigrant is, and the other says the call center exists to serve that group.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Marriage immigrant 결혼이민자 |
A foreign resident who has been married to, or is married to, a Korean national |
| Multicultural family 다문화가족 |
A family made up of a marriage immigrant, or a naturalized citizen, together with a Korean national |
| Marriage immigrants and others 결혼이민자등 |
A member of a multicultural family who is either a marriage immigrant, or a person granted naturalization under Article 4 of the Nationality Act |
The phrase to notice is in the first row. The statute reads has been married to, or is married to. That wording covers people whose marriage has ended, which matters because leaving a marriage is often the moment a person needs an interpreter most.
What the center actually does
The published service list has five parts, and only one of them is what most people picture when they hear the word helpline.
The first item is the reason the law allows this center to be run together with the emergency line for victims of domestic violence. Article 11-2 says so directly.
How the three-way call works
This is the part of the service that rarely appears in English, and it is the part that solves a problem money cannot.
You are at a police station, or in an emergency room, and nobody there speaks your language. You call 1577-1366 and ask for interpretation. The counselor stays on the line while you speak to the person in front of you, and translates between you. The published list names six places where this is offered.
The same service covers communication inside the family, which is listed separately from the six settings above. Both run on the main number, around the clock.
When you can call, and in which language
365 days a year, 24 hours a day. There is one condition attached to that, and it is easy to miss.
The line is answered by counselors who specialize in support for migrant women, working in fifteen languages.
| Group | Languages |
|---|---|
| East and Southeast Asia | Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Khmer, Thai, Lao, Indonesian |
| Central and South Asia | Mongolian, Uzbek, Nepali |
| Other | English, Russian, Arabic |
Fifteen languages at three in the morning is unusual. The immigration line, 1345, carries more languages during the day but drops to Korean, English and Chinese after 18:00, and closes at weekends. That difference is the practical reason to know both numbers.
Talking to a lawyer
The center runs legal consultations through the Korean Bar Association (대한변호사협회). The schedule is narrow, so it needs planning rather than a call in the moment.
Interpretation runs through the same center, so the language you booked in is the language the consultation happens in.
Other ways to reach them
The phone is the fastest route, and three others exist.
For classes, childcare and ongoing family services rather than an urgent problem, a family center is usually the better first stop. The Danuri portal lists 229 family centers (가족센터) across the country, searchable by province and district.
Cities with large foreign populations often run their own lines, and those cover subjects the national services do not.
If this line is not for you
The law built this center around marriage immigrants and multicultural families. Students, workers on employment visas, posted staff and their families fall outside that description, and other services exist for them.
| Service | When | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 1345 Immigration Contact Center |
Weekdays 09:00 to 22:00. Korean, English and Chinese only after 18:00. Closed at weekends | Visas, residence permits, registration, office locations |
| Family centers 가족센터, 229 nationwide |
Each center sets its own hours | Classes, childcare, translation help, ongoing support in person |
City-run helplines are the third option, and they often take the questions the national lines will not, such as unpaid wages or a dispute at work. Which cities run one depends on where you live.
Frequently asked questions
Official sources
Every figure here comes from the pages below. Services and hours change, so open the page before you rely on it.