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EMERGENCY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR U.S. CITIZENS IN KOREA
DISCLAIMER:The information in this website is provided for
general information only and may not be totally applicable in a particular
case. Questions involving interpretation of specific U.S. or foreign
laws should be addressed to appropriate legal counsel.
This is an official U.S. Government source. Inclusion of non-U.S.
government links does not imply endorsement of contents.
The American Citizen Services branch of the American Embassy can assist
U.S. citizens who are temporarily destitute abroad due to robbery or other
unforeseen circumstances. There are no facilities for cashing checks at
the Embassy but if you find yourself in this situation there are a number
of alternatives available.
 Wiring
Money Directly
You can wire money directly to a U.S. citizen in Korea through Western
Union. Money wired through Western Union is accessible at any Kookmin
Bank in the country. The Kookmin Bank nearest to the U.S. Embassy is
the Sejong-ro Branch, located in the Korean Reinsurance Building on
the 1st floor at #80 Susong-dong, Chongro-ku, Seoul. It will be necessary
for the person receiving the money to present proof of identity such
as a passport. For more information, you can visit Western Union's website
at www.westernunion.com.
Your Credit
Card Company
The Seoul Branch of Citibank located near the Embassy at #89-29 Shinmoonro
2-ka, Chongro-ku has cash advance machines that work for both Visa and
Mastercard credit cards. The fee is 5000 won for a Citibank account
card and 20,000 won for a non-Citibank account card. Another alternative
is to contact your credit card company which may be able to advance
you funds temporarily. If your credit card was lost or stolen, report
this immediately to your credit card company. They may also be able
to verify your credit card directly to your hotel or airline to enable
you to checkout of your hotel, obtain replacement airline tickets, or
other emergency services. It may be necessary for a person receiving
funds and a new credit card to present proof of identity such as a passport.
You may also wish to confer with your credit card company before you
travel abroad to find out what alternatives are available.
Bank to
Bank Transfers and ATMs
A number of ATMs that accept U.S.-based cards are available throughout
the country, primarily in large hotels and foreign exchange banks. Two
located near the Embassy are in Gwanghwamun subway station and at the
Korean Foreign Exchange Bank behind the Embassy. Alternatively, it may
also be possible to transfer funds directly from a bank in the United
States to a bank in Korea where the U.S. citizen can receive the funds.
Many foreign banks require that the U.S. citizen establish a foreign
bank account to use this service. Bank to bank transfers can take several
days to accomplish. Fees are typically established by the bank sending
the funds.
Contacting
Home
When U.S. citizens are stranded in Korea, they may contact the American
Citizens Services branch of the U.S. Embassy for assistance in contacting
their family, friends, or employer in the United States for financial
help. The U.S. Embassy in Korea is located at 32 Sejong-Ro Chongro-Ku,
Seoul, telephone (82-2) 397-4114, fax (82-2) 738-8845. The U.S. Embassy's
web page can be found at http://usembassy.state.gov/seoul
and information for American Citizens in Korea can be found at www.asktheconsul.org.
In an emergency situation, where no commercial alternatives are available,
including incarceration of an American or paying for expenses to return
the remains of a deceased American citizen to the U.S., family or friends
may send funds through the U.S. embassy or consulate using the Department
of State Overseas Citizens Services (OCS) Trust process.
For further information and instruction to send money overseas to an U.S.
citizen in an emergency, click here.
Updated January 2, 2003
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