South Korea

Before committing: confirm communications and transport, use verified meeting arrangements and learn how to respond to local emergency alerts.

Emergency: police 112, ambulance and fire 119. The 1330 tourist line offers information and interpretation; from abroad use +82 2 1330. It is not a replacement for emergency dispatch. [S41]

What changes the plan here

For Seoul meetings, save the venue and accommodation address in Korean as well as your usual language. Confirm that your mapping, messaging and payment arrangements work for your phone and account status. Keep an ordinary phone and paper contact fallback.

For late nights in entertainment areas, use legitimate transport, keep companions informed and avoid unverified afterparties. Official advice notes occasional theft and assaults around nightlife. Keep the same rules for drinks, device access and signing that you would use elsewhere. [S42]

For Busan or Jeju, check weather and onward transport before a tight international connection. A coastal holiday property and a central city hotel may require very different medical and evacuation arrangements.

Understand alerts before you need them

Official advice warns that peninsula tensions can change with little notice and that civil emergency exercises occur. Familiarise yourself with the government's Emergency Ready information and follow local instructions. Know whether an alert concerns a drill, weather or another emergency; obtain a verified translation when needed. [S42]

Avoid demonstrations and restricted areas. Do not improvise travel near the DMZ on the basis of a social invitation. If you have Korean nationality connections, resolve any nationality or military service question with qualified advice before travel.

Crypto and account access

KoFIU has warned users about unregistered virtual asset service providers and recommends checking registration. The linked historical warning explains the principle; its named firms should not be treated as a current blacklist. Obtain current status from the regulator and provider before use. [S43]

Do not assume a short term visitor can open or use the same banking or exchange services as a resident. Confirm identity, residency and account requirements through official channels. Decline borrowed accounts, informal conversion and offers to bypass checks.

Do before arrival: save Korean addresses, emergency numbers and an independent contact; verify payment access; and understand the local alert channel.

For meetings and conferences: keep a separate return plan, verify venue changes and do not install a special trading or meeting application on a device that controls meaningful assets.