When you have nowhere to sleep tonight

Sleeping rough is not your only remaining option. There is somewhere you can go tonight.

Who to call now

• 129 Health and Welfare Call Centre — 24 hours, emergency housing guidance.
• Dasan Call 120 (Seoul) or your local city/county/district office duty desk.
• 1366 — immediate shelter referral for women and domestic violence victims. See dv-shelter.
• 1577-0071 — temporary lodging guidance for migrant workers.
• Local migrant organisations and religious facilities — see ngo-support.

Where you can stay

1. Temporary protection facilities for homeless people — same-day admission is often possible.
2. Emergency welfare temporary lodging — apply through the local authority. See emergency-welfare.
3. Women's shelters — for women victims of violence and accompanying children. See migrant-women-shelter.
4. Migrant workers' shelters — referred through local support centres.
5. Heat and cold shelters during extreme weather — daytime use. See heatwave and cold-wave.

The steps

1. Call 129 and describe where you are and what has happened — ask for interpretation if needed.
2. You are directed to the nearest facility.
3. ID helps, but in many cases you can be taken in without it first.
4. Once admitted, get advice on emergency welfare and medical support.
5. Counselling continues through to job and housing referrals.

Where to go

• 129 Health and Welfare Call Centre (24 hours)
• 120 local authority call centre
• 1366 Women's Emergency Hotline
• 1577-0071 Foreign Workforce Support Centre
• 112 (where there is a threat to your safety)

Questions people ask

Can foreigners use these? It varies by facility, but in an emergency protection is often available. Tell 129 you are a foreign national and ask.

I have no ID. Counselling and protection are often possible first. Explain your situation honestly.

I need somewhere to leave my belongings. Ask the facility or a local centre. Subway station lockers are also an option.

It's freezing and I have nowhere to go. Subway stations, community centres and cold shelters can get you through the night — but call 129 first. See cold-wave.

Take care

Sleeping outside is life-threatening in winter and in summer. Hypothermia and heat illness progress fast. Drinking and then sleeping outdoors is especially dangerous. Asking for help is nothing to be ashamed of.

Related

emergency-welfare · hunger-emergency · unpaid-and-stranded · cold-wave · ngo-support

Source

Ministry of Health and Welfare www.mohw.go.kr / As of 2026-08