(Getty Images)
The South Korean national police said Sunday they will begin offering real-time interpretation services on their emergency hotline for foreign nationals this week.
The National Police Agency said they will place two English interpreters and two Chinese interpreters in the 112 situation room in Seoul beginning Monday, tasking them with handling calls from foreigners.
The police are hoping to better serve foreign nationals residing in South Korea in light of the fatal crowd crush in the international Seoul neighborhood of Itaewon last fall.
The incident claimed 26 foreign lives, but none of the 93 calls made to the 112 hotline came from a foreign national.
Previously, the Korea Tourism Organization offered interpretation services for foreigners calling the police. Such calls lasted for 6 minutes and 13 seconds on average, according to the NPA.
During the NPA's test run of real-time interpretation services in Seoul last month, calls to the 112 hotline averaged 3 minutes and 52 seconds.
The NPA said it will release videos and hand out leaflets at major airports, train stations, and foreign embassies and consulates to promote its interpretation services.
After evaluating the effectiveness of these services and the demand for interpretation in other languages, the NPA will explore expanding its language services. (Yonhap)
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