What to do after a traffic accident

Follow the order after an accident. Leaving the scene makes it a hit-and-run.

The order

1. Check whether anyone is hurt. If so, 119.
2. Make the scene safe. Hazard lights on, move the car to the shoulder if you can, set up the warning triangle. On a motorway, get behind the guardrail.
3. Call 112, especially if anyone is injured or there is a dispute.
4. Take photos — vehicle positions (from a distance), damage (close up), number plates, road conditions, traffic lights, whether there is a dashcam.
5. Get the other party's details — name, phone, vehicle number, insurer, a photo of their licence.
6. Get witnesses' contacts.
7. Call your insurer.
8. Go to hospital. Go even if nothing hurts now — pain often appears days later.

What not to do

• Just leaving — that is hit-and-run
• Settling in cash at the scene — you cannot claim later if pain appears
• Saying "I'm fine" — you cannot know before an examination
• Signing a settlement you did not understand

What you need

• A phone (photos)
• Driving licence and ID
• Your insurer's contact
• The other party's details

Where to go

• 119 injuries · 112 police
• Your insurer's accident line (on your policy)
• 1345 · 1577-1366 interpretation
• 132 Korea Legal Aid Corporation
• A hospital emergency room

Questions people ask

I was a pedestrian and a car hit me. Always call 112 and 119 and go to hospital. Even if the driver says "you're fine, right?", do not settle at the scene.

It's hard to explain in Korean. Ask 112 for interpretation. Photos are stronger evidence than words.

I have no insurance. There are schemes such as the government compensation programme. Ask 132 and your insurer.

They're dismissive because I'm foreign. Call the police. The procedure is the same regardless of nationality.

Take care

The scene photos are everything. Before moving the car, photograph its original position from several angles. When fault is disputed later, those photos decide it.

Related

accident-insurance-claim · hit-and-run · call-119 · call-112

Source

Korean National Police Agency www.police.go.kr / As of 2026-08