Guidebook for Living in Korea

Main public administration offices include eup offices, myeon offices, dong community centers, city offices, gun offices and gu offices. These offices manage affairs related to the health and welfare of local residents, the management of public facilities, the issuance of certificates, and the registration and recording of legal affairs. Eup offices, myeon offices and dong community centers operate a wide range of programs, including cultural lectures for local residents.
Document issuance services are also available at the automatic certificate issuance machines located at major subway stations; documents can also be received via the Minwon 24 website (www.minwon.go.kr), a government service portal. However, not every required certificate can be issued through the Internet or the automatic certificate issuance machine. If you need to have an official document issued, please check the requirements in advance.

You can call 112 or visit a police station if you are a victim of fraud, violence, or burglary, are involved in a traffic accident, or witness an accident or crime. At public phones, simply press the red emergency button and dial 112. Dial 112 without the area code when calling from a landline phone or a mobile phone.
When reporting a crime, you must do your best to accurately report the address, the name and the contact information of the person reporting the crime (you) and the detailed circumstances of the event. Giving information on the appearance, characteristics, and direction and method in which the criminal got away will help police identify the suspect.

You can call 119 in emergency situations such as when there is a fire or someone is in need of an ambulance. When calling from a public phone, simply press the red emergency button and dial 119. When calling from a landline or a mobile phone, dial 119 without the area code.
When reporting a fire, tell the dispatcher the location, floor, type of fire, and any useful landmarks. When reporting someone in need of emergency care, you will need to provide the person’s basic information. You should maintain contact with the 119 dispatcher until first responders arrive.

You can send letters or packages from post offices, which are located in all neighborhoods. Post offices handle domestic postal services and international postal services, and also provide some banking services, such as bill payment. For quick international postal services, you can use EMS.

Regular postal mail is received and delivered within 3 days. At island or mountainous areas, mail may take longer to arrive. Rates vary contingent on where the postal mail is delivered. When sending mail whose weight or size exceeds the standard, a fee corresponding to the excess requirements is incurred.

For postal parcels, there are post office windows for over-the-counter parcels to be personally picked up and door-to-door pickup services by visiting the workplace or home upon request.

International mail may be sent by air, sea, international express mail EMS, or EMS premium.
What is EMS? EMS enables the prompt and safe delivery of letters, documents, and goods up to 30kg to more than 99 countries across the world. Letters, documents, L/C, books, checks of financial organizations, product samples, and other commodities may be delivered through EMS. For some countries, the package weight is limited to 20kg, including, Argentina and Bangladesh. As the delivery of certain items is prohibited in some countries, please double-check postal regulations before sending your package.

Libraries support the learning, cultural studies, and continuing education of local residents by providing free access to diverse materials, including books and AV media. Most cities, guns and gus operate libraries. For more information on your nearest library, contact the offices of your city, gun or gu.