Korea certifies its 1st official braille teachers century after invention

Exactly a century after Korean braille was created, the country has certified its first group of 20 official braille teachers, marking a significant step in expanding educational access for visually impaired individuals. This achievement fulfills the primary goal of the Braille Act, a landmark legislation passed a decade ago to standardize and enhance braille literacy throughout the nation.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, alongside the National Institute of Korean Language, announced that these 20 teachers have obtained second-grade braille teacher licenses, a national qualification established when the Braille Act was updated last year.

Hangeul Braille Day, commemorated on November 4th, celebrates the introduction of Korean braille on this date in 1926. Bak Du-seong, a teacher in Seoul who worked with blind students during the Japanese colonial period, devised the six-dot braille system. He named it Hunmaengjeongeum, a term reminiscent of Hunminjeongeum, the 15th-century document that introduced Hangeul, the Korean alphabet.