[Handmaker Reporter Kim Je-min] The right to access information is a fundamental right everyone needs. Even today, people with visual impairments often struggle to obtain even basic materials. Technology is advancing rapidly and the world keeps changing, yet this problem rarely improves.
DevFive recognizes this as a societal issue and is building technology that helps people with visual impairments get closer to the information they need. Because technology for socially disadvantaged groups is often talked about but rarely becomes something truly usable,
DevFive is determined to create tools that can actually be used in real life. In this interview, we take a closer look at what that decision could mean in narrowing the information gap.
What led you to start the business?
I began this work with the intention of helping socially disadvantaged people. I studied AI in college, and choosing this path felt natural for me. DevFive is a company that applies AI and IT technology to deliver real technical value. We’re working so that people with visual impairments can access information more easily, and so that overall technological standards can improve across many fields.
Please introduce the business you are currently pursuing.
We are developing an AI braille conversion technology solution called “Touching Memory.” Our goal is to improve information accessibility for people with visual impairments. Braille text alone is not enough to read every type of material. Textbooks include many contents where visual information is essential—such as quadratic function graphs, topographic maps, tables, and images—and these are difficult to understand if you only convert the text into braille. That’s why we believed a technology was needed that could provide not only braille text, but also graphic representations.
In reality, it is very difficult to find engineers who can implement braille graphics. Technical capability matters, but I also felt that there simply aren’t enough engineers who are interested in this field, which slows progress. What began from interest in visual impairment gradually expanded with support and attention from people around us. After receiving a patent, we have continued trying to release related technologies as open source.
We developed an open-source braille conversion library called “Braillify,” and we also built a UI library called “Devup-UI” to share knowledge with the developer community. Both libraries are free for anyone to use, including for commercial projects.
How did people with visual impairments respond when they encountered DevFive’s technology?
Cases of developing or publicly releasing technologies like “braillify,” which converts braille into Korean, are rare. People with visual impairments found it interesting, and braille transcription and proofreading specialists also welcomed it. Touching Memory is not a program used directly by end users with visual impairments—it is mainly used by braille transcription/proofreading professionals or those converting books into braille.
Once braille textbooks are produced, people with visual impairments can use those outcomes. They will be able to use the outputs created with our tools, and the books they want can be produced as braille books, expanding access to information. Beyond converting Korean to braille, the tool can also handle materials that include images or diagrams, which can help in producing books in mathematics and engineering as well.
What were some of the hardest moments while running the business?
When we needed to work with government agencies or related institutions, a major concern was how to secure support and continue operating the company sustainably. Another challenge was that people with visual impairments, teachers at schools for the visually impaired, and welfare workers were often hesitant to adopt such programs.
In this field, projects are often launched as one-off efforts and then end, which has left people with the impression that nothing changes no matter how long they wait. Even if students come every year for graduation theses, or people visit and ask questions and run projects, the outcome seems to remain the same—that perception exists.
I thought that, to them, we might look like just another one of those attempts, and breaking through that wall was not easy.
We released a program like “braillify” as open source, but it wasn’t the places we expected that showed interest. Many institutions were already overwhelmed with administrative work related to braille, and it seemed difficult for them to allocate time and capacity for technology development.
On the other hand, the Ministry of Science and ICT responded positively and encouraged us, which we were truly grateful for. We also experienced unexpected support from government departments we didn’t anticipate. Through that experience, we hope public interest continues to grow little by little.
What motivated you to start working on programs for people with visual impairments?
In my third year of university, I visited a professor’s office and saw a nameplate on the door written in Korean so anyone could recognize it. Underneath, there was braille, so I naturally assumed the name and title were written there as well. But in reality, the name was missing, and only the word “Professor’s Office” was written.
After realizing that, I thought: if you told a visually impaired person to find a specific professor’s office, they wouldn’t be able to. At first, I felt angry and thought it was an administrative issue. But over time, I reached a different conclusion—it was a gap created because almost no engineers were paying attention to these details.
Before starting the business, I also noticed that when a visually impaired person takes a photo with someone without a disability, they often cannot know what is in the photo at all. That led me to the idea of a feature that could describe photos, and that’s how the name “Touching Memory” was born.
Over time, I realized this problem connects directly to basic rights. I also came to think about the reality that people with visual impairments often struggle to even have opportunities to demonstrate their abilities in society. It felt frustrating that, because of disability as a condition, many opportunities may continue to remain out of reach.
What is your core business?
We develop web and mobile applications optimized for various platforms using multiple technology stacks such as React Native, Next.js, Python, and FastAPI. For search engine optimization, we provide services that improve ranking visibility on major search engines such as Google and Naver. We refine website loading speed and performance so users can use services without frustration, and we also provide monitoring and technical support to ensure stable operations.
Do you have a management philosophy you consider important?
DevFive aims to contribute to society through technology. We work toward digital inclusion and equal access to education, and we want to grow together with society. Everyone on the team strives to create better efficiency and outcomes.
What are your thoughts on industry trends and changes?
Recently, adopting AI has become essential across many industries. Still, the主体 that uses and communicates through technology is ultimately people. Even if AI replaces many tasks, people must still be the ones to absorb information and make decisions.
What do you hope to see in government policy to strengthen corporate competitiveness?
Science and technology are the future for all of us. This was true when humanity moved from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age, and it was also true with chemical inventions and the Industrial Revolution—progress came from science and technology. I hope that generous investment and support will strengthen corporate competitiveness and, in turn, national competitiveness.
Any final message you’d like to share?
We take pride in our technology. Beyond braille-related technologies, we have worked on many projects with partners such as AhnLab, NICE Information & Telecommunication, and the Financial Security Institute. We have also consistently developed app and web services, and we welcome inquiries whenever needed.
At first, some people may feel DevFive’s production costs are high compared to other companies. But there are cases where clients proceed elsewhere, fail to get the results they want, and then come back to us. No matter who you work with, I hope you choose carefully with overall quality in mind.
We strongly hope that people who need technology can work in better environments. That’s why we share our technology within possible limits and keep sharing our experiences in various places. It’s great to explore the products DevFive has built, but I also hope people pay attention to the open-source technologies we’ve released. Anyone can use them freely, and I hope they can be helpful in each person’s own field and role.
