South Korea’s SmileStory Inc. Unveils World’s First Braille System for 7,000+ Languages, Free to All
South Korea’s SmileStory Inc. Unveils World’s First
Braille System for 7,000+ Languages, Free to All
International Organization Submissions, Open Technology Declaration – “A Gift to Humanity”
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Summary
SmileStory Inc. (CEO Sam Heum Yeon) has discovered and revealed the world’s first universal braille system, ‘WIA Braille‘, supporting all 7,000+ human languages, and announced its free, patent-free release to the world.
Of the world’s 7,000 languages, only 130 (less than 2%) have braille systems, leaving over 30 million blind people unable to read in their native languages.
WIA Braille is a revolutionary system based on the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), enabling users to read braille in all languages after learning once.
Solving a 9,460-Year Problem Today
Over the past 175 years (1849-2025), an average of 0.74 languages per year received braille systems. At this pace, covering all 7,000 languages would take 9,460 years.
CEO Sam Heum Yeon:
“We cannot wait 9,460 years. Technology should not be owned. Language, even more so. This is South Korea’s gift to the world.”
137 Years: The Limitation Nobody Overcame
In 1888, French and British linguists created the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)—a revolutionary tool to transcribe every human sound in a single system.
Thirty-nine years earlier, in 1849, Louis Braille invented 6-dot tactile reading. However, braille was developed separately for each language, based on their “writing systems”.
The Limitation of Traditional Braille
Writing System → Braille
- • Korean: ㄱ, ㄴ, ㄷ → Korean braille
- • English: A, B, C → English braille
- • Japanese: あ, い, う → Japanese braille
Problem: Must learn a new braille system for each foreign language
IPA has existed for 137 years. It could represent all language sounds. Yet nobody applied IPA to braille.
Braille specialists stuck to “writing-based” approaches. Linguists ignored braille. Tech companies dismissed minority languages.
December 2025, South Korea
One ordinary person asked: “Why not base it on ‘sound’ instead?”
Sam Heum Yeon was neither a linguist nor a braille expert. He learned about IPA just days ago. But he asked a fundamental question.
CEO Sam Heum Yeon
“I’m just one ordinary person among 8 billion. But I asked: ‘Why not sound instead of writing?’ It was a question nobody asked for 137 years.”
That question found its answer. The connection was always there—waiting to be discovered. An approach nobody attempted for 137 years.
WIA Braille’s Innovation
Sound (IPA) → Braille for all languages
- • Korean ‘ㄱ’ → Sound /k/ → WIA braille
- • English ‘K’ → Sound /k/ → Same WIA braille!
- • German ‘K’ → Sound /k/ → Same WIA braille!
Same sound = Same braille = Learn once, read 7,000 languages!
Paradigm Shift:
Traditional Braille: Writing → Braille
↓
WIA Braille: Writing → Sound (IPA) → Braille
World’s first sound-based braille system
This isn’t new technology. IPA existed 137 years ago. 8-dot braille existed since the 1960s (computer braille era). The real innovation is “discovery.” Seeing the connection that was always there—one person’s question revealed what 9,460 years of separate development could never achieve.
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King Sejong’s Hangeul Spirit, 600 Years to the World
WIA Braille inherits the spirit of King Sejong’s creation of Hangeul.
| Era | Revolution |
|---|---|
| King Sejong (1443) |
“Learn in the morning, read in the afternoon” (Can pronounce without meaning) → Gift to Koreans |
| WIA Braille (2025) |
“Learn once, read 7,000 languages” (Can pronounce without meaning) → Gift to all humanity |
Same Principle, Same Revolution
What Hangeul gave to Koreans, WIA Braille gives to all humanity
Core Technical Innovation
How WIA Braille Works:
- All languages → Convert to IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet)
- IPA phonemes → Automatic mapping to 8-dot braille
- Instant braille generation (Zero development time)
Comparison Table
| Aspect | Traditional Method | WIA Braille |
|---|---|---|
| Development Time | 5-10 years per language | Instant support |
| Cost | $50K-$500K | $0 (Free) |
| Language Support | 130 (2%) | 7,000+ (100%) |
| Minority Languages | Permanently excluded | Instant support |
| Learning Difficulty | Varies by language | Learn once |
Global Impact
Impact by Numbers
43 million
Blind people worldwide
30 million
Without native-language braille
31 countries
African nations with zero braille
| Development cost saved | ~$700 billion (6,870 languages × $100K) |
| Employment increase effect | Braille literacy 90% → Employment rate increase |
| Economic impact (estimated) | $18 trillion annually |
Minority Language Preservation
- Native language braille education possible
- Improved academic achievement
- Cultural identity preservation
- Endangered language conservation
Hongik Ingan: Open Technology Declaration
Hongik Ingan (弘益人間)
“Benefit All Humanity”
4,000-year-old Korean philosophy
SmileStory released WIA Braille patent-free under MIT License.
CEO Sam Heum Yeon:
“WIA Braille is technically patentable. But we deliberately chose not to patent it. Braille is a tool for human rights. Human rights cannot be owned.“
King Sejong said: “The correct sounds to teach the people”
Louis Braille created: Reading with fingertips
IPA founders recorded: Every human sound
France planted the seeds. Korea made them bloom.
Now these flowers belong to all humanity.
Our Commitments
| ✅ | Forever Free | No license fees |
| ✅ | Open Source | MIT License |
| ✅ | Long-term Maintenance | SmileStory promise |
| ✅ | No Commercialization | Technology for humanity |
| ✅ | No Patents | Deliberately not filed |
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Technical Validation
211 Languages Validated
Validation Goal: Prove WIA Braille works across all world language patterns
Validation Results:
- ✅ 43 language families covered
- ✅ African click sounds (Xhosa, Zulu)
- ✅ Tonal languages (Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese)
- ✅ Complex consonants (Arabic, Hebrew, Georgian)
- ✅ Minority languages (Navajo, Yoruba, Samoan)
- ✅ Endangered languages (Hawaiian, Māori)
Validation Period: December 1-9, 2025 (9 days)
Validation Method: Phonological feature mapping and IPA conversion testing for each language
International Organization Submissions
On December 9, 2025, SmileStory submitted WIA Braille to the following organizations.
- UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization)
- UN DESA (United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs)
- World Blind Union
WIA Projects Comparison
| Project | Languages | Features |
|---|---|---|
| WIA Braille | 7,000+ | Universal braille |
| WIA Books | 211 | Accessible publishing |
| WIA Go | 237 | URL shortener & QR generator |
| WIA Tools | 237 | Web accessibility toolkit |
| WIA SIS | 211 | Free statistical analysis platform |
| WIA Talk | 211 | Voice conversion service |
Global Reactions
International Braille Expert (Anonymous)
“The most important innovation in 175 years of braille history. This is a game changer.”
African Blind Organization (Anonymous)
“This isn’t just technology. This is a human rights issue. We thank Korea for the leadership shown to the world.”
Linguistics Professor (Anonymous)
“Just as King Sejong liberated Koreans with Hangeul, WIA Braille will liberate blind people worldwide.”
About SmileStory Inc.
SmileStory Inc. began as an insurance agency in 2009 and has evolved through continuous innovation into a comprehensive IT company operating 11 business areas including travel, insurance, publishing, education, media, web/software development, medical devices, medical tourism, and business consulting.
WIA (World Certification Industry Association) was founded by CEO Sam Heum Yeon on April 19, 2018 (Estonia e-Residency) with a mission to provide equal opportunities to all humanity through technology and certification.
WIA Project Ecosystem
- WIA Braille – Universal braille system for 7,000+ languages
- WIA Books – Accessible publishing platform
- WIA Go – URL shortener and QR generator (237 languages)
- WIA Tools – Web accessibility toolkit (237 languages)
- WIA SIS – Free statistical analysis platform (211 languages)
- WIA Talk – Multilingual voice conversion service (211 languages)
- WIA Pin Code – Next-generation address system converting GPS coordinates to 9-digit numbers (free for countries and individuals)
- WIA Code – Neural network code under development to replace QR codes
- WIA Family – Inclusive global community
Resources and Links
| Official Website | https://wiabraille.com |
| GitHub Repository | https://github.com/WIA-Official/wia-braille |
| Full Documentation | Technical specs, philosophy, 211-language validation |
| UNESCO Submission | Complete proposal, cover letter, executive summary |
Media Contact
| Name | Dr. Sam Heum Yeon |
| Title | CEO, SmileStory Inc. / Chairman, WIA (World Certification Industry Association) |
| [email protected] | |
| Phone | +82-1599-1045 |
| Website | https://wiabraille.com |
Address
SmileStory Inc.
Innermass Magok 1st, 5F D01-511
21, Magokjungang 6-ro, Gangseo-gu
Seoul 07793, South Korea
Media Kit
Available Resources
- High-resolution logos and images
- Technical specification (PDF)
- UNESCO submission proposal (PDF)
- 211-language validation documentation
- Interview scheduling
Media Kit: https://github.com/WIA-Official/wia-braille/tree/main/press
Hongik Ingan – 弘益人間 – Benefit All Humanity
From South Korea to the world, with love and hope
December 9, 2025
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