Busan Braille Library: A Braille and Audio Resource Hub in Deokpo-dong Since 1983

From the Library’s Founding in 1983 to the Main Building Relocation to Deokpo-dong in 2003

The Busan Braille Library was founded on September 5, 1983, by about 10 people with visual impairments and volunteers, and officially opened on April 25, 1987, in Choryang 3-dong, Dong-gu. It received approval as a special library from the Ministry of Education on March 9, 1988, and began its telephone library service for people with visual impairments on January 10, 2001.

The library relocated to and opened at its newly constructed building on March 8, 2003, at 9 Deoksang-ro 72beon-gil, Sasang-gu, where the main building is currently located. On the 21st of the same month, the institution’s name was changed from the Busan Blind Braille Library to the Busan Braille Library. Since it had previously relocated in 1997 to the Nam-gu Library at 61 Suyeong-ro 267beon-gil, Nam-gu, it continues to operate a Nam-gu branch today.

A Specialized Library Producing Electronic and Audio Materials, Not Just Braille Books

The library’s core function is to produce and provide Braille, electronic, and audio materials for people with visual impairments who have difficulty accessing printed text. Its information materials state that it provides Braille books, Braille-labeled books, books combining Braille and regular print, tactile books, electronic books, audio books in tape, CD, and MP3 formats, and regular-print books.

Its main projects include producing Braille and electronic materials, producing audio materials, lending books, promoting reading, operating a digital library, and improving disability awareness. In July 2026, it also published lists of new electronic and electronic-audio books as well as new audio and CD books, showing that it is not merely an exhibition space but a library that continually produces and updates materials.

• Book requests: Available by telephone, postal mail, or email
• Delivery of loans: By post or courier
• Returns: Instructions are provided for visiting a post office or contacting the library for postal collection
• Main contact: 051-302-9010

09:00–18:00 from March to October, Closing One Hour Earlier in Winter

According to publicly available accessible tourism information, the hours are 09:00–18:00 from March through October and 09:00–17:00 from November through February. Since weekends and public holidays are listed as closed, it is safer to change your plans to a weekday if you had intended to use the building on a Saturday or Sunday.

Admission is free. However, this is an information and reading service institution for people with visual impairments rather than a permanent exhibition hall for tourists. If you are visiting for the first time and wish to use materials or participate in a program, it is best to call the main number, 051-302-9010, in advance to ask about visiting hours and consultation or education schedules. The official website is https://www.angelbook.or.kr.

• Hours: 09:00–18:00, March–October
• Hours: 09:00–17:00, November–February
• Closed: Every weekend and public holiday
• Admission: Free
• Email: [email protected]

Access Route to Deokpo-dong, Where a Moduk Station Shuttle Service Was Previously Recorded

The main building’s address is 9 Deoksang-ro 72beon-gil, Sasang-gu, Busan Metropolitan City, postal code 46938, and it is also listed as 24-65 Deokpo 2-dong. Busan Metropolitan City’s status report on community rehabilitation facilities for people with disabilities lists the main building’s telephone number as 051-302-9010 and the Nam-gu branch’s number as 051-626-9014.

Past Braille class notices stated that a library shuttle operated from Moduk Station on Busan Metro Line 2, and another notice recorded a shuttle service from Exit 2 of Moduk Station. However, this information was associated with programs at the time and should not be regarded as a regular service. Before visiting, confirm by telephone whether a shuttle currently operates, its departure times, and whether advance registration is required.

• Nearest metro area: Moduk Station on Busan Metro Line 2
• Confirmed past program shuttle: Examples of departures from Moduk Station or Exit 2 of Moduk Station
• Main building: 9 Deoksang-ro 72beon-gil, Sasang-gu
• Branch: 61 Suyeong-ro 267beon-gil, Nam-gu

A First-Floor Visit with a Ramp, Elevator, and Accessible Restroom

Accessible tourism information states that dedicated parking for people with disabilities is available and that a level asphalt access route without stairs connects the parking area to the main entrance. A gently sloped ramp is installed at the main entrance, and the building also has an elevator and an accessible restroom.

For visitors with visual impairments, the key accessibility features lie not only in the facilities but also in the formats of the materials. Braille, tactile, electronic, and audio materials are available, and requests by telephone, postal mail, or email, as well as free postal delivery, are offered. The publicly available materials do not confirm whether foreign-language assistance is regularly available on site, so visitors who have difficulty communicating in Korean should consider arranging an interpreter to accompany them or making an advance telephone inquiry.

• Dedicated parking for people with disabilities: Available
• Access route: Level path and gently sloped ramp
• Building facilities: Elevator and accessible restroom
• Material requests: Telephone, postal mail, or email

Busan’s Braille Culture in the Context of Hunmaengjeongeum, Created in 1926

The Busan Braille Library’s annual events related to Hangul Braille Day are connected to the history of Hangul Braille. Hangul Braille is a writing system promulgated on November 4, 1926, under the name Hunmaengjeongeum, after Songam Park Du-seong formed the Korean Braille Research Committee with eight graduates of Jesaengwon and conducted research for approximately six years.

The library’s history records a literary event held on November 3, 1993, to commemorate the 67th anniversary of Hangul Braille Day. Since 2015, Sasang-gu has also commissioned the library to distribute a Braille newsletter about Sasang-gu news free of charge every month. Thus, beyond being a place that stores books, the library can be viewed as a Busan-based information access hub that has converted and delivered local administrative and daily-life information in Braille.

• Promulgation of Hangul Braille: November 4, 1926
• Creator: Songam Park Du-seong
• Library founded: September 5, 1983
• Free monthly distribution of the Sasang-gu Braille newsletter: Since 2015

A 40–60-Minute Visit Plan Where Service Inquiries Come Before Sightseeing

If your goal is to take a brief look around the building and understand the institution’s role, you can allow approximately 40–60 minutes. However, if you plan to use a specific service, such as borrowing Braille materials, searching for information, attending a Braille class, or inquiring about volunteer work, the length of your stay will vary depending on consultation times and whether the education room is in use.

For general travelers, it is more appropriate to approach a visit as an opportunity to understand Sasang-gu’s reading and cultural infrastructure for people with disabilities. This is not a place for visiting a series of major tourist attractions nearby, and because it is closed on weekends and closing times vary by season, a realistic plan is to visit on a weekday morning or early afternoon after confirming by telephone.

• Recommended duration: 40–60 minutes
• Recommended visiting days: Monday–Friday
• Check before visiting: Operating status, material consultations, program and shuttle schedules
• Nature of the visit: Focused on understanding information access for people with visual impairments and local Braille culture