Activity contamination in a problematic call made to the Korean emergency center

Abstract This study examines a single highly controversial emergency call made to the Korean emergency center which garnered significant media interest due to the caller’s use of authority to demand the call taker’s name. The analysis shows how the sequential context in which turns are produced and the treatment they receive have consequences for how the dispute emerges by using the notion of activity contamination ( Whalen et al. 1988 ). A sequential analysis of the recorded call revealed how the call for help fails as soliciting and giving reason for the phone call is displaced by the activity of arguing with each other. The caller’s use of directives and commands when addressing the call-taker is examined in relation to the Korean kapjil “abuse of power” culture. The findings may contribute insights into cultural dynamics in emergency calls, at the same time providing suggestions to improve the effectiveness of Korean emergency service calls in the future.