As a record number of international tourists visit Korea, police are facing a growing demand for interpretation services, both for foreign-language emergency calls and at crime scenes. However, budget constraints have hindered efforts to recruit additional professional interpreters for languages other than English and Chinese, leaving officers to struggle with language barriers, particularly at crime scenes where interpreters are often difficult to secure on short notice. Foreign arrivals to Korea rose 21.5 percent year-on-year to 17.11 million in the first nine months of this year, up from 14.08 million in 2025, further increasing demand for police interpretation services. According to data submitted by the National Police Agency to Rep. Park Ju-min of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, police received 21,252 emergency calls in foreign languages last year, nearly double the 10,348 recorded in 2024. The surge has continued this year, with 21,012 foreign-language calls recorded through August, nearly equaling last year's annual total. Despite repeated requests for additional interpreter