At the Parastar Entertainment agency in Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam District, Seoul, members of 'Big Ocean,' South Korea's first deaf idol group, (from left) Lee Chan-yeon, Park Hyun-jin, and Kim Ji-seok, are having an interview with the Chosunilbo on the afternoon of Apr. 16, 2024. /Jang Ryeon-seong

‘Big Ocean’, South Korea’s first idol group with hearing impairments, will debut on Apr. 20, coinciding with the Day of Persons with Disabilities in Korea. The group consists of rapper Lee Chan-yeon (26), main vocalist Park Hyun-jin (25), and rapper Kim Ji-seok (21), and is signed to Parastar Entertainment, the first entertainment agency in Korea specializing in artists with disabilities.

Each member of the group lost their hearing at a different point in their lives. Kim Ji-seok was born deaf, Park Hyun-jin lost his hearing when he was three years old, and Lee Chan-yeon became deaf when he was 18.

All of them have become skilled in lip-reading for communication and use cochlear implants and hearing aids with no issues in communication. However, they were initially not fluent in sign language. In preparation for their debut, they learned Korean Sign Language (KSL), American Sign Language (ASL), and International Sign Language (ISL). This led to some online criticism about their imperfect sign language skills.

Prior to their debut as idols, all three members received concerns from their acquaintances as they all had full-time jobs. Lee Chan-yeon was working as an audiologist at Korea University Anam Hospital, Kim Ji-seok was a member of the Seoul Disabled Ski Association, and Park Hyun-jin was a well-known YouTuber who documented his daily life with disabilities.

Although they had stable jobs, they made the decision to follow their dreams of becoming idols. This choice led to them facing questions about why they would take such a risk. However, they answered that they wanted to pursue their passions and aspirations.

Kim Ji-seok shared that he often received advice to pursue physical or technical jobs due to his disability. This advice was both a concern and a hurtful stereotype. Despite this, he believed that choosing a job he truly loved would fill the void and bring him happiness.

Training for two years as trainees was a challenging journey. Park Hyun-jin, as the main vocalist, explained that he learned to sing by using a mobile app that measures pitch and memorizing each note by the feeling in his abdominal muscles rather than by hearing. Despite unstable vocals, they used AI technology for voice correction.

Learning dance was difficult as keeping rhythm was a challenge; they used smartwatches that vibrate to the beat and monitors that flash lights every eight beats. They practiced at local music festivals and learned how to manage in noisy environments. They also meticulously prepared by repeatedly watching terrestrial music broadcasts on YouTube to memorize camera positions and stage layouts.

Their debut song is a remake of H.O.T’s ‘Hope’ incorporating sign language into the choreography. Park Hyun-jin hopes that Big Ocean will bridge the gap between disabled and non-disabled people, overcoming stereotypes and prejudices. He aims for people to recognize them as a regular idol group who are impressive, regardless of their disabilities.