The National Fire Agency said on the 9th that the 119 emergency medical consultation service for overseas Koreans was selected as an excellent case in the public safety enhancement field and won an award at the 2026 Kakao Public Innovation Awards.
Kakao(035720) is discovering and honoring outstanding cases that have created innovation achievements in the public sector by using its own services. The awards ceremony was held at 3 p.m. on Aug. 8 at the Nine Tree Premier Rokaus Hotel in Yongsan, Seoul. This year, after a review involving outside experts, a total of 30 institutions, including government agencies, public institutions, and local governments, were selected as awardees in nine fields.
The National Fire Agency's 119 emergency medical consultation service for overseas Koreans was highly rated for enabling people abroad to easily and conveniently receive emergency medical consultations by using KakaoTalk.
In addition to overseas travelers, overseas Koreans, crews and passengers of deep-sea vessels, and airline crew members and passengers can receive medical consultations such as first aid and medication guidance from emergency medicine specialists and professional staff at the National Fire Agency Central 119 Emergency Medical Situation Management Center when they suffer sudden illness or injury abroad.
KakaoTalk has now become a main access channel for 119 emergency medical consultations for overseas Koreans. In 2025, there were a total of 4,977 emergency medical consultations for overseas Koreans, of which KakaoTalk consultations accounted for 3,312 (66.5%), the most.
Of the 2,490 land-based consultations for overseas travelers and overseas Koreans, 2,095 used KakaoTalk, accounting for 84.1%.
The National Fire Agency plans to improve user access convenience by developing and releasing the web-based 119 Safety Reporting Center as a mobile application in Oct.