MacBook Korean Keycaps Changed with M1, Why?

I noticed that I was getting confused whenever I looked at the keyboard on my new M1 MBP 16. It is like my fingers are shifted by one key, but they aren’t. I finally realized that the keycap legends have been changed. Asking around, it seems to have been introduced with the first M1 models.

I did some digging into Korean keyboard photos, and from as far back as I can see, a 1980s MSX computer, Korean keycap legends have always been printed with the Latin letters on the left, and the Hangul on the right. I have never seen, nor been able to find online, an example with Latin on the right. I’ve asked several Korean friends and nobody I know has ever seen Latin on the right, either. I’m currently checking deeper with some keyboard specialists, and am getting in touch with Mr Cho Sok-hwan, who was instrumental in developing KS C 5715 the Hangul keyboard standard, and find out if they ever made a keycap standard.

This “Latin right” is driving me crazy. Is there any reason Apple decided to print keycaps different than all keyboards spanning the past 40-some years? Does Apple offer a keycap replacement program so I could restore my keyboard to the standard?

-Chris

Sacheon, South Korea