Learn Must-Know Korean Words, Expressions, and Tips for Talking About Safety and Crime in Korea (안전과 범죄)

Whether you’re living in Korea or just visiting, it’s important to know how to talk about safety (안전) and respond to emergencies or crime-related situations. This post covers core vocabulary, useful expressions, and what to keep in mind when navigating safety concerns in Korea.

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🛡️ Must-Know Safety & Crime Vocabulary in Korean

Korean	Pronunciation	English
안전	an-jeon	Safety
위험	wi-heom	Danger
범죄	beom-jwe	Crime
경찰	gyeong-chal	Police
범인	beom-in	Criminal
피해자	pi-hae-ja	Victim
도둑	do-duk	Thief
절도	jeol-do	Theft
강도	gang-do	Robbery
폭행	pok-haeng	Assault
성범죄	seong-beom-jwe	Sex crime
실종	sil-jong	Missing person
경보	gyeong-bo	Alarm
긴급 상황	gin-geup sang-hwang	Emergency situation
신고하다	sin-go-ha-da	To report
대피하다	dae-pi-ha-da	To evacuate

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🧠 Useful Verbs & Phrases for Safety and Crime

Korean	Pronunciation	English
신고하다	sin-go-ha-da	To report (to police)
경찰을 부르다	gyeong-chal-eul bu-reu-da	To call the police
위험해 보이다	wi-heom-hae bo-i-da	To look dangerous
조심하다	jo-sim-ha-da	To be careful
도둑맞다	do-duk-mat-da	To get robbed
사라지다	sa-ra-ji-da	To disappear
구하다	gu-ha-da	To save/rescue
달아나다	da-ra-na-da	To flee/escape

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🗣️ Common Safety & Crime Expressions in Korean

Korean	Pronunciation	English
위험해요!	wi-heom-hae-yo!	It’s dangerous!
도와주세요!	do-wa-ju-se-yo!	Help me!
경찰을 불러 주세요	gyeong-chal-eul bul-leo ju-se-yo	Please call the police
지갑을 도둑맞았어요	ji-gap-eul do-duk-mat-at-seo-yo	My wallet was stolen
누가 따라오고 있어요	nu-ga tta-ra-o-go iss-eo-yo	Someone is following me
여기에 CCTV 있어요?	yeo-gi-e CCTV iss-eo-yo?	Is there CCTV here?
큰 소리를 질렀어요	keun so-ri-reul jil-leot-seo-yo	I screamed loudly
이 사람 수상해요	i sa-ram su-sang-hae-yo	This person is suspicious

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🇰🇷 Safety & Crime in Korea – Important Things to Know

👮 Police & Emergency Numbers

• 📞 112 – Police (범죄 신고)
• 📞 119 – Fire & Medical Emergencies
• 📞 182 – Missing Persons Center

You can say:

“긴급 상황이에요!” (It’s an emergency!)
“신고하고 싶어요.” (I want to report something.)

🏙️ Is Korea Safe?

Yes, Korea is generally very safe — especially in comparison to many other countries. Violent crime is rare, but petty crime like pickpocketing (소매치기) can happen in tourist-heavy areas.

👀 Surveillance & Prevention

• CCTV (씨씨티비) is widely used — streets, stores, public transport.
• Police stations (파출소) are common, and 지구대 (local police boxes) are friendly to foreigners.

🚫 Sensitive Areas to Be Cautious

• Nightlife districts (like 홍대, 이태원, 강남) may have higher reports of scams or unwanted attention.
• Avoid isolated areas late at night and always stay aware of your surroundings (주위를 살피다).

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🧳 Bonus Vocabulary – Safety Items & Systems

Korean	Pronunciation	English
소화기	so-hwa-gi	Fire extinguisher
비상구	bi-sang-gu	Emergency exit
화재 경보	hwa-jae gyeong-bo	Fire alarm
방범 카메라	bang-beom ka-me-ra	Security camera
비상벨	bi-sang-bel	Emergency bell
구조 요청	gu-jo yo-cheong	Rescue request
안전요원	an-jeon yo-won	Safety personnel

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🎯 Vocabulary Quiz

1. What’s the Korean word for “danger”?
2. How do you say “My wallet was stolen”?
3. Translate: “Please call the police.”

💬 Comment your answers below — and share a tip about staying safe in Korea!

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📚 Want to Learn More?

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✔️ Culture shock in Korean
✔️ Weekday in Korean

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