BBB Korea, a free interpretation service for foreign tourists and short-term stayers in Korea, on Oct. 21 received its millionth call. (Screen capture from BBB Korea app)

By Kim Hyelin and Lee Jihae

A free interpretation hotline for foreign tourists and short-term stayers in Korea has received its millionth call.

The service provider BBB Korea on Oct. 21 said the milestone was reached when a Thai national called to ask what National Foundation Day (Oct. 3) meant to Koreans. Responding to the call was Oh Keun-ho, a volunteer interpreter for Korean and Thai.  

The non-profit organization is registered with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and comprises a network of knowledge exchange and community service. Its 4,469 volunteers not only interpret but also answer questions about Korean culture.

A Korean or foreign national with difficulty in communication calls the hotline at 1588-5644 or using the service's app to speak to a volunteer on the latter's cell phone. Then all three parties take turns talking on the phone.

The service is available 365 days a year, 24 hours a day in 20 languages: English, Japanese, Chinese, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, German, Portuguese, Arabic, Polish, Turkish, Swedish, Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Mongolian, Hindi, Malay and Swahili.

Launched by volunteers in 2002 during the World Cup that year co-hosted by Korea and Japan, the service seeks to ease communication inconvenience for foreign visitors. It has since worked at major international events in the country such as the 2014 Incheon Asian Games, the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics and last year's ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)-Republic of Korea Commemorative Summit in Busan. 

Most of the first million calls the service received were offered in English (44%), followed by Chinese (20%) and Japanese (16%). BBB Korea said this is because most foreign visitors here are from English-speaking countries, China and Japan.

Demand for service has steadily risen in Southeast Asian languages such as Vietnamese, Thai, and Indonesian, as the number of visitors from the region was increasing prior to COVID-19. The number of the hotline's users from Europe and that of those speaking Spanish and French-language also saw growth.

kimhyelin211@korea.kr