Article 1(Purpose) #
The purpose of this Decree is to prescribe matters mandated by the Braille Act and matters necessary for the enforcement thereof.
Article 2(Actual condition survey) #
The details of actual condition surveys under Article 9 of the Braille Act (hereinafter referred to as the "Act") shall be as follows:
1. Matters concerning the Braille use abilities of visually impaired persons and personnel related to visual impairment;
2. Matters concerning nationals' awareness of Braille;
3. Matters concerning environment for Braille use;
4. Matters concerning Braille education;
5. Matters concerning specialized personnel related to Braille;
6. Matters concerning preparation and dissemination of Braille;
7. Other matters related to Braille which the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism deems necessary.
Article 3(Braille Policy Advisory Committee) #
(1) The Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism may organize and operate the Braille Policy Advisory Committee (hereinafter referred to as the "Committee") if necessary for advice on the following matters in accordance with Article 11(1) of the Act: <Amended on Feb. 27, 2025>
1. Matters related to the development and dissemination of Braille educational programs and teaching materials;
2. Matters related to the training of Braille teachers under Article 11(1) of the Act;
3. Other matters related to Braille policy, which the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism deems it necessary to deliberate on by the Committee and refers to the Committee for deliberation.
(2) The Committee shall consist of at least 15 members, including 1 chairperson, in consideration of gender, and the chairperson shall be elected from among and by the members.
(3) A member of the Committee shall be appointed or commissioned by the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism from among any of the following persons; in such cases, the number of visually impaired persons shall be at least half of the number of the members specified in subparagraph 6:
1. Director-level public officials in charge of special education policy affairs at the Ministry of Education;
2. Director-level public officials in charge of Braille policy affairs at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism;
3. Director-level public officials in charge of policy affairs for persons with disabilities in the Ministry of Health and Welfare;
4. Director-level public officials in charge of special language research affairs in the National Institute of Korean Language;
5. The Director General of the National Library for the Disabled;
6. Persons with extensive knowledge of and experience in Braille.
(4) The term of office of the member commissioned under paragraph (3)6 shall be 2 years; provided, where the Committee is dissolved under paragraph (9), the term of office shall expire at the time of the dissolution.
(5) A majority of the members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum, and any resolution thereof shall require the concurring vote of a majority of those present.
(6) The chairperson shall convene and preside over meetings of the Committee.
Article 4(Qualification requirements for Braille instructors) #
(1) The grades of Braille instructors under Article 11(1) of the Act (hereinafter referred to as "Braille teachers") shall be classified into Grades I and II, and the qualification requirements for Braille instructors by grade shall be as follows:
1. Grade I Braille instructor: The person shall have experience of providing Braille instruction for at least 300 hours in total at an institution, corporation, or organization under paragraph (2) after obtaining the qualification of Grade II Braille instructor under subparagraph 2. In such cases, his or her experience of providing Braille instruction shall be recognized only for 120 hours per year;
2. Grade II Braille instructor: The person shall meet all of the following requirements:
a. The person shall meet any of the following requirements:
1) The person shall have experience in providing Braille instruction for a total of 300 hours or more in an institution, corporation, or organization under paragraph (2);
2) The person shall pass the grade of beginner level or higher in Braille proficiency examination under Article 7(2);
3) The person shall acquire Grade III or higher of Braille transcribers and proofreaders (referring to private qualifications officially recognized under Article 19 of the Framework Act on Qualifications; hereinafter the same shall apply);
b. The person shall meet all of the following requirements:
1) The curriculum for the training of Braille instructors publicly announced under paragraph (4) (hereinafter referred to as the "training course for Braille instructors") shall be completed in accordance with the required completion hours for each area specified in Appendix 1;
2) The person shall have completed all required hours for each area as specified in Appendix 1, with the total number of hours amounting to 120 hours. In such cases, the completion hours shall be recognized only for the subjects completed within 2 years from the commencement date of completion.
(2) Institutions, corporations, or organizations recognized as having experience in providing Braille instruction necessary for obtaining the qualifications for Braille instructors under paragraph (1) shall be as follows:
1. Elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, and special schools under Article 2 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which have been established with Braille instruction;
Article 5(Examination of qualifications for Braille instructors) #
(1) A person who intends to obtain qualifications for a Braille instructor under the subparagraphs of Article 4(1) shall submit an application for examination of qualifications in the form prescribed by Decree of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, along with documents prescribed by Decree of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
(2) Upon receipt of an application under paragraph (1), the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism shall examine whether the applicant satisfies the qualification requirements set forth in each subparagraph of Article 4(1) and issue the Braille instructor certificate prescribed by Decree of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to a person who satisfies the relevant qualification requirements.
(3) A person who has changed any matters entered in the certificate of qualification issued under paragraph (2) or a person who intends to be reissued the certificate of qualification because the certificate has been lost or worn out, shall submit an application for re-issuance in the form prescribed by Decree of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, along with documents prescribed by Decree of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
(4) The Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism shall conduct a qualification examination for Braille instructors once a year for the purpose of fostering Braille instructors; provided, the number of examination may be increased or decreased as deemed necessary, taking into account factors such as the supply and demand of Braille instructors.
(5) The Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism shall publicly announce matters regarding the period of application, methods of application, etc. on the website of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism by not later than 60 days before conducting a qualification examination of Braille instructors under paragraph (4).
[This Article Added on Feb. 27, 2025]
[Previous Article 5 is moved to Article 12 <Feb. 27, 2025>]
Article 6(Requirements for designation of Braille education centers) #
(1) A public institution under Article 4 of the Act on the Management of Public Institutions or a Braille-related corporation or organization (hereinafter referred to in this Article as the "public institutions, etc."), which intends to be designated as a Braille education center under Article 11(3) of the Act shall meet all of the following requirements:
1. It shall have all of the following professional human resources:
a. 1 full-time person in charge: A person who has worked for at least 5 years in an institution, corporation, or organization under Article 4(2);
b. At least 1 full-time educational instructor: Any of the following persons:
1) A person who has acquired the qualification of Grade I Braille instructor under Article 4(1)1 or Grade II Braille instructor under subparagraph 2 of that paragraph;
2) The certified Braille transcribers and proofreaders who has experience of providing Braille instruction for at least 300 hours in total at an institution, corporation, or organization under Article 4(2). In such cases, the experience of providing Braille instruction shall be recognized only for 120 hours per year.
2. It shall be equipped with all of the following facilities and equipment:
a. Lecture rooms and offices. In such cases, where the right to use is secured through a lease contract or a joint use contract, the relevant facilities shall be deemed to be equipped during the contract period;
b. Textbooks and teaching materials necessary for Braille instruction;
c. Facilities under Article 10(1)2 through 5;
(2) A public institution, etc. that intends to be designated as a Braille education center shall submit an application for designation in the form prescribed by Decree of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, along with documents prescribed by Decree of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
(3) The Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism may, when determining whether to designate a Braille education center upon an application filed under paragraph (2), may take into account the performance of implementation of projects related to promoting the use and dissemination of Braille and Braille instruction for the last 3 years.
(4) Where the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism designates a Braille education center, he or she shall publish that fact on the website of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Article 7(Methods of Braille proficiency examination) #
(1) In accordance with Article 11-2(1) of the Act, the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism shall conduct an examination to assess Braille proficiency (hereinafter referred to as the "Braille proficiency examination") once a year; provided, the frequency of examinations may be increased or decreased as deemed necessary, taking into account factors such as the demand for the Braille proficiency examination.
(2) The evaluation areas and testing methods for Braille proficiency examination are as specified in Appendix 3.
(3) The grades of Braille proficiency examination shall be classified into beginner, middle, and advanced level, and a person who has passed Braille proficiency examination shall be a person who has scored at least 40 out of 100 points in each evaluation area and at least 120 out of 200 points in all evaluation areas.
(4) The Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism shall publicly announce the date and time and place of examination, procedures for taking the examination, examination fees, etc. on the website of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism at least 90 days prior to the administration of Braille proficiency examination.
[This Article Added on Feb. 27, 2025]
Article 8(Examination fees for Braille proficiency examination) #
(1) Any person who intends to take Braille Proficiency examination shall pay the examination fee, as determined and publicly announced by the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, either in cash or by means of electronic payment, such as electronic money or electronic settlement through an information and communications network, to the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism (or to the entrusted entity, in cases where the business affairs under each subparagraph of Article 11(1) are entrusted; hereinafter referred to as the "exam administration agency").
(2) Any person who intends to take Braille Proficiency examination shall pay the examination fee, as determined and publicly announced by the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, either in cash or by means of electronic payment, such as electronic money or electronic settlement through an information and communications network, to the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism (or to the entrusted entity, in cases where the business affairs under each subparagraph of Article 11(1) are entrusted; hereinafter referred to as the "exam administration agency"):
1. Where the examination fee is paid erroneously: The whole amount of the wrongly paid amount;
2. Where the application is canceled within the application period: The full amount of examination fees paid;
3. Where the applicant fails to take an examination due to reasons attributable to the exam administration agency: The full amount of examination fees paid;
4. Where the applicant fails to take an examination due to hospitalization caused by an accident or disease (limited to cases where the date of examination is included in the period of hospitalization): The full amount of examination fees paid;
5. Where the applicant fails to take an examination due to a disposition of medical treatment, hospitalization, or quarantine (limited to cases where the date of the examination is included in the period of medical treatment, hospitalization, or quarantine) under the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act: The full amount of examination fees paid;
6. Where the applicant dies, or where any of the persons listed in each item below dies during the period from 7 days prior to the examination date to the date of the examination, and the applicant is thereby unable to take the examination: The full amount of the examination fees paid:
a. The spouse of a person who paid an examination fee;
Article 9(Scope of textbooks for curriculum) #
The textbooks to be produced and distributed in braille by the Minister of Education pursuant to Article 12 (1) of the Act shall be textbooks prescribed in Article 29 (1) 1 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and teachers' guides prescribed in subparagraph 2 of that paragraph. <Amended on June 12, 2018; Nov. 25, 2025>
[Moved from Article 3 <Feb. 27, 2025>]
Article 10(Standards for facilities for Braille publishing) #
(1) The facilities which may publish Braille materials in accordance with Article 12(2) of the Act shall fulfill all of the following criteria: <Amended on Feb. 27, 2025>
1. At least 1 full-time employee engaged in Braille transcription or proofreading;
2. At least 2 computers which are used for editing Braille transcription and printing Braille materials;
3. At least 1 unit of Braille embosser or Braille printer;
4. At least 1 unit of Braille bookbinder;
5. Braille transcription software capable of transcription editing.
(2) Where a facility falling under any of the following subparagraphs meets all of the criteria specified in the subparagraphs of paragraph (1), the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the head of a local government may subsidize the facility to cover all or part of the expenses incurred in preparing and disseminating braille publications in accordance with Article 12(2) of the Act: <Amended on Jul. 9, 2019; Dec. 6, 2022; Feb. 27, 2025>
1. The Library with the main purpose of providing library services to persons with disabilities among public libraries under Article 4(2)1b of the Libraries Act;
2. A Braille library or publication facility of Braille books and recording books among community rehabilitation facilities for persons with disabilities under Article 58(1)2 of the Act on Welfare of Persons with Disabilities;
3. Other non-profit welfare facilities recognized and publicly notified by the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism as capable of publishing Braille materials among welfare facilities for visually impaired persons.
[Moved from Article 4 <Feb. 27, 2025>]
Article 11(Entrustment of business affairs) #
(1) In accordance with Article 20(2) of the Act, the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism may entrust the following business affairs regarding Braille proficiency examination:
1. Affairs regarding the public announcement of Braille proficiency examination;
2. Affairs related to the payment and refund of examination fees for Braille proficiency examination;
3. Affairs related to the preparation, evaluation, and certification of Braille proficiency examination;
4. Affairs related to the determination of successful candidates for Braille proficiency examination, and the issuance and delivery of the certificates of successful candidates.
(2) The Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism may entrust business affairs specified in the subparagraphs of paragraph (1) to a corporation that meets all of the following requirements:
1. It shall be a non-profit corporation established under the Civil Act or other statutes;
2. It shall be equipped with manpower and facilities to conduct Braille proficiency examination;
3. It shall have expertise in Braille proficiency examination.
(3) Where the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism entrusts his or her business affairs under paragraph (1), he or she shall publicly notify the details of the entrusted person and entrusted business affairs.
[This Article Added on Feb. 27, 2025]
Article 12(Processing of sensitive information and personally identifiable information) #
The Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism (including a person entrusted with business affairs of the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism under Article 20(2) of the Act) may process data containing information on health under Article 23 of the Personal Information Protection Act and data containing resident registration numbers, passport numbers, or alien registration numbers under subparagraph 1,2, or 4 of Article 19 of the Enforcement Decree of that Act, if it is inevitable to perform the following affairs:
1. Affairs related to collecting data or conducting fact-finding surveys under Article 9(1) of the Act;
2. Affairs related to the composition of the Committee under Article 3;
3. Affairs related to the examination of qualifications for Braille instructors under Article 5;
4. Affairs related to Braille proficiency examination under Article 7.
[This Article Wholly Amended on Feb. 27, 2025]
[Moved from Article 5 <Feb. 27, 2025>]