The Korean government will issue special passports for the visually impaired starting April 20. The person's given name, surname, passport number, date of issue and date of expiration will all be printed in braille. (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

The Korean government will issue special passports for the visually impaired starting April 20. The person’s given name, surname, passport number, date of issue and date of expiration will all be printed in braille. (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

By Jin Li and Kim Young Shin

Citizens of Korea who are visually impaired or who have low vision will be able to begin using braille passports starting April 20.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on April 10 that its 240 domestic offices and 175 overseas missions will begin issuing passports written in braille for citizens who so request it.

The special passports, to be issued to those with corrected vision worse than 0.06, have the pertinent information printed in braille. The information includes: given name, surname, passport number, date of issue and date of expiration. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that braille passports for the visually impaired are part of the customized services that it hopes to offer to all the nation’s citizens, no matter where they live in the world.

jinli01@korea.k