Exactly a century after the creation of Korean braille, Korea has certified its first cohort of 20 officially licensed braille instructors — a major step toward expanding educational accessibility for the visually impaired. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Wednesday that the milestone fulfills a core mandate of the nation’s landmark Braille Act, passed a decade ago to formalize and elevate braille literacy across the country. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the National Institute of Korean Language said the 20 teachers received second-grade braille teacher licenses. The license is a national qualification created when the Braille Act was revised, and the change took effect last year. The announcement fell on Hangeul Braille Day, which was marked Wednesday. The day marks the release of Korean braille on Nov. 4, 1926. Bak Du-seong, who taught blind students in Seoul, developed the six-dot system while Korea was under Japanese colonial rule. He called it Hunmaengjeongeum, a name that echoes Hunminjeongeum. That 15th-century document proclaimed Hangeul, t