Living in Korea and insurance
Can you buy, claim under and manage insurance without speaking Korean well?
It may be possible to buy insurance or file a claim even if you do not speak Korean well. Some insurers provide English-language customer service, information for foreign residents or telephone numbers for customers abroad. Support is not the same across every insurer, language and type of task. Italian-language service in particular should not be assumed to be generally available.
When considering a policy, do not ask only whether an English consultation is available. Check each of these tasks separately:
- explanation of the product before enrollment;
- completion of pre-contract disclosure questions;
- review of the policy document and terms;
- premium payments and access to policy information;
- changes to address or contact details;
- filing a claim;
- explanation of payment or non-payment;
- cancellation, renewal or beneficiary changes; and
- contact from abroad.
An insurer may offer an enrollment consultation in English but handle claims or policy changes only in Korean. Online services may also require a foreign resident registration number or verification through a Korean mobile phone, so check both language support and your ability to complete identity verification.
Examples from official insurer information
AIG Korea publishes a separate English-language customer-service number. KB Insurance publishes a main number accessible from abroad and channels for claims and policy management, and also provides information for foreign customers.
These are examples of customer support offered by particular insurers. They do not mean that every insurer supports the full process, from enrollment to claim, in English or another foreign language. Confirm both the task and supported language with each company.
Ways to enter a contract more safely
- Do not sign immediately if you do not understand the contract.
- Obtain important explanations in writing or another form you can check later.
- Even if an interpreter helped, review the final contract documents yourself.
- Use the insurer’s official contact details.
- Do not send medical records or identification only through an agent’s personal messenger account.
- Save the customer-service and overseas telephone numbers you will need after enrollment.