On the 81st Liberation Day, Carrying the Spirit of Our Ancestors Forward Through AI and IT

Dr. Sam-Heum Yeon, Founding Chairman of the World Certification Industry Association, Presents the Future of Korea as a Cultural Powerhouse Through ‘WIA UNIVERSE,’ Integrating Hangeul, Publishing, Languages, Education, and AI

Baek Chang-hee, Reporter Posted 2026/08/15 [21:12] Article No. 55018

On August 15, 2026, the Republic of Korea marked the 81st anniversary of National Liberation Day since its liberation in 1945. Liberation Day commemorates the historic restoration of Korea’s sovereignty while also providing an opportunity for today’s generation to reflect on how to carry forward the spirit of freedom and independence preserved by our ancestors.

[The Korean Today] Dr. Sam-Heum Yeon, Founding Chairman of the World Certification Industry Association, presents the future of Korea as a cultural powerhouse through ‘WIA UNIVERSE,’ integrating Hangeul, publishing, languages, education, and AI. © Reporter Chang-Hee Baek

On this meaningful Liberation Day, Korean developer Dr. Sam-Heum Yeon, Founding Chairman of the World Certification Industry Association, is presenting new possibilities for the Republic of Korea by carrying forward the spirit of Korea’s ancestors and the philosophy of Hongik Ingan — benefiting all humanity — through technologies of the digital era.

Dr. Yeon has built a wide range of digital services through his activities with the World Certification Industry Association and various AI-related initiatives, while also serving as publisher of The Korean Today, CEO of SmileStory, and CEO of WIA Book.

At the heart of these efforts is a vision to connect the excellence of Hangeul and Korea’s advanced IT technologies with the world.

Hangeul is one of Korea’s most valuable cultural heritages, distinguished by its unique principles of creation and underlying philosophy. Dr. Yeon is bringing the spirit of Hangeul into the modern era by combining it with AI, multilingual technologies, publishing, education, video, and accessibility solutions.

Through these efforts, he is working to create an environment in which anyone can benefit from technology regardless of language, nationality, or disability. WIA Talk, in particular, presents the continuation of King Sejong the Great’s spirit and the philosophy of Hongik Ingan as key values.

‘WIA UNIVERSE’ — Connecting Diverse Technologies into One Digital Ecosystem

The concept that brings these various platforms together into one interconnected world is known as ‘WIA UNIVERSE.’

WIA Book, WIA SOOM, SmileStory, WIHP Converter, WIA Academy, WIA Tools, WIA Pin Code, WIA Address, WIA Languages, WIA Video, WIA Verse, WIA Trip, WIA Go, WIA Code, and many other services collectively form an ecosystem encompassing publishing, AI, servers, languages, education, software development, digital identity, video, the metaverse, and travel.

Official introductions to WIA also demonstrate that a broad range of WIA services and projects are being developed and operated across these fields.

In particular, WIA UNIVERSE is designed not only for technology professionals but also for the general public, allowing anyone to easily understand, access, and use its services. To support this goal, WIA UNIVERSE is also introduced on the official website of <The Korean Today>.

The Korean Today operates a dedicated WIA category that continuously covers related technologies, services, and projects, while also introducing WIA’s AI-based initiatives through news articles.

This reflects a philosophy that the true value of technology should not be measured solely by how advanced it is, but also by how easily it can be accessed, used, and shared by as many people as possible.

WIA Book is also being developed to combine PDF and EPUB3 publishing with voice narration, Braille, sign language, and multilingual accessibility features, placing particular emphasis on reducing the number of people who may otherwise be excluded from the benefits of digital technology.

Create · Connect · Share · Inspire.

To create, to connect, to share, and to inspire.

On the 81st anniversary of Korea’s Liberation Day, the message emphasized by WIA is that the spirit of the Republic of Korea, preserved by previous generations, should not remain only in the past. Instead, it should be carried forward through today’s technologies and culture and shared with the world.

From Hangeul to AI, from books to video, and from education to the languages of the world, these new connections are now expanding beyond Korea and reaching toward the global community.

“The stories we write become the history of the world.”

On August 15, 2026, as Korea commemorates the 81st anniversary of National Liberation Day, the Republic of Korea is once again envisioning a new future upon the light of freedom restored by its ancestors.

Bringing together the value of Hangeul, Korea’s advanced IT technologies, K-Culture, and K-Trend, ‘WIA UNIVERSE’ is opening another digital pathway through which the Republic of Korea can connect with the world as a global cultural powerhouse.