Free counseling in English
for foreigners in Korea

Living far from home can be lonely and stressful. Whether you are an expat, a foreign worker, an international student or part of a multicultural family, these public programs let you talk with a counselor or therapist in English, and most cost nothing. We check each one on its official page and remove it once applications close.

English, Chinese, Vietnamese

Multilingual Peer Counseling for Migrant Youth

Seoul Global Youth Education Center

Older peers who also moved to Korea mentor young people in their own language — friendships, talking with parents, school life and career worries.

Language
English, Chinese, Vietnamese
Where
Seoul (Yeongdeungpo-gu)
Format
In person
Cost
Ask the center
When
Open all year, Monday–Saturday 10:00–19:00
Who can join
Young people with a migrant background who came to Korea during their school years
Apply by
Open all year

How to apply Call ☎ 070-4170-0724, then meet in the center’s counseling room.

Run by Seoul Global Youth Education Center. Please apply and ask questions through the official page. Last checked 2026-10-27.
Official page ↗

15 languages including English

Danuri Helpline — Family & Couple Counseling

Danuri Helpline (Korea Institute for Healthy Family)

When family conflict or problems with your partner feel heavy, talk with counselors who are themselves migrant women, and get emotional support and interpretation.

Language
15 languages including English (also Chinese, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Khmer, Mongolian, Russian, Japanese, Thai, Lao, Uzbek, Nepali, Arabic, Indonesian, Korean)
Where
Anywhere in Korea
Format
Phone (24/7) · online 1:1 chat · in person by appointment
Cost
Ask when you call
When
Phone lines open 24 hours, 365 days. Online counseling anytime.
Who can join
Marriage immigrants, multicultural families and migrants
Apply by
Open all year

How to apply Call ☎ 1577-1366 (three-way calls with interpretation available), or use the 1:1 counseling room on the Danuri portal (liveinkorea.kr).

Run by Danuri Helpline (Korea Institute for Healthy Family). Please apply and ask questions through the official page. Last checked 2026-10-27.
Official page ↗

Frequently asked questions

Can I get free counseling in English in Korea?

Yes. A few public centers offer counseling in English at no cost or low cost. Open right now: Multilingual Peer Counseling for Migrant Youth (Seoul Global Youth Education Center); Danuri Helpline — Family & Couple Counseling (Danuri Helpline (Korea Institute for Healthy Family)). We remove programs once applications close.

Where can foreigners in Seoul get mental health support in English?

The Seoul Foreign Resident Center in Daerim-dong runs free one-on-one counseling in English, Korean and Chinese during its application period, and the Seoul Global Youth Education Center offers peer counseling in English for young people who moved to Korea. Check the cards above for what is open now.

Is there a 24-hour helpline in English in Korea?

The Danuri Helpline (1577-1366) answers 24 hours a day in 15 languages including English. It mainly supports marriage immigrants, multicultural families and migrants.

What should I do in a mental health emergency in Korea?

If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 119 for an ambulance or 112 for the police.

Looking for more? Our full list of 207 public mental health programs across Korea is in Korean — see all programs (your browser’s translate button works well there). If you know a program that offers counseling in English, tell us through Inquiry.

If you are in danger right now, call 119 (ambulance) or 112 (police). The Danuri Helpline 1577-1366 answers 24/7 in 15 languages.