First aid for burns
Cooling quickly and for long enough is everything. Folk remedies make burns worse.
The sequence
- Remove the cause. Get away from fire, hot water or electricity.
- Cool under cool running water (not iced) for at least 15–20 minutes.
- Carefully remove rings, watches and clothing near the burn. Never force off clothing stuck to the skin.
- Cover with clean cloth or burn dressing.
- Call 119 or go to hospital.
Never do this
- Don't apply ice directly. It damages tissue further.
- Don't apply soybean paste, soy sauce, oil, toothpaste or soju. They cause infection and complicate treatment.
- Don't burst blisters. They become a route for infection.
- Don't pull off stuck clothing. Skin comes with it.
Always go to hospital when
- The area is large (bigger than a palm)
- The burn is on the face, hands, feet, joints or genitals
- Blisters form, or skin turns white or black
- Electrical burns — worse inside than outside. See electric-shock.
- Chemical burns — flush with water at length and bring the substance details. See chemical-exposure.
- Burns to children or older people
- Smoke was inhaled — airway burn risk. 119.
If burned at work
- Tell the doctor you were injured at work.
- Claim through 1588-0075 (Workers' Compensation).
- Secure site photos and witnesses. See industrial-accident-report.
Where to go
- 119 emergency (multilingual interpretation available)
- 1339 Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency
- 1588-0075 Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service
- 1577-1366 · 1345 interpretation
Questions people ask
A blister has formed. Don't burst it — cover with clean gauze and go to hospital. If it has burst, disinfect and cover.
I'm badly sunburned. Cool with water and moisturise. See a doctor if there are blisters, fever or chills.
Hot oil splashed on me. Cool under running water immediately. Don't rub trying to wipe the oil off.
My child has been burned. Children's skin is thinner, so damage runs deeper. Even a small-looking burn should be seen by a doctor.
Take care
Never use folk remedies such as soybean paste, oil or toothpaste. They cause infection and make it hard for the doctor to assess the wound, delaying treatment. Cool running water alone is what works.
Related
first-aid-basics · chemical-exposure · electric-shock · fire-emergency · call-119
Source
National Fire Agency www.nfa.go.kr / As of 2026-08