[Disabled Persons' Day] K-pop group BIG OCEAN hopes to break boundaries

"세상의 편견, 틀 깨뜨려버릴게요!" K팝 그룹 '빅오션'의 이야기

Tomorrow, April 20th is Disabled Persons' Day here in Korea.
Our culture correspondent Song Yoo-jin spoke with a K-pop group debuting on that day, whose passion and commitment have already begun to inspire others.

"Attention, we are BIG OCEAN! Nice to meet you!"


The name "BIG OCEAN" reflects their desire to spread hope and positivity, like the feeling you get when gazing at the ocean.
All three members, Jiseok, Hyunjin, and Chanyeon have hearing impairments.
Jiseok was born with a disability, while Hyunjin and Chanyeon experienced partial hearing loss at a young age.
They can hear with the help of hearing aids and cochlear implants, but singing and dancing require a whole new level of perseverance and dedication.


"We all interpret the bounce, feeling, and beat of a song differently, so it was a bit chaotic at first. Trying to harmonize with each other was challenging, but we worked hard to find a way to blend our differences together."


"Since I have difficulty hearing, learning a new song from scratch is tough. So, I keep listening to it repeatedly to become more familiar with it. Even then, it can be a struggle to grasp the beat correctly and match the tone and volume of the other members. In those cases, our staff helps out."

After a year and a half of training, they're debuting with their single "Light," a remake of first-generation K-pop boy group H.O.T.'s song of the same title.
Their disabilities don't hinder their performances, thanks to cutting-edge technology like light and vibrating metronomes.
With these, mastering K-pop's synchronized, sophisticated dance moves is not a problem.

"We first converted the sound into a beat vibration through the smartwatch and also, we synced it to the flashing light so that they can see the screen and feel the music with the flashing lights.
In this way, they were able to feel the music more clearly and they later tried to come up with some grooves and bounces too."

What sets BIG OCEAN apart isn't just their historical debut as the first K-pop group where all members have hearing impairments.
They're also inspiring change.


"Even with cochlear implant surgery, keeping up with the rhythm and hitting the right pitch is challenging. I think BIG OCEAN's incredible efforts will prove that disabilities don't confine the realm of arts, especially singing."

That's exactly what BIG OCEAN hopes to do: show that music is for everyone, and passion knows no limits.

"We hope to inspire not only those with hearing impairments but also anyone with a disability.
We hope we can encourage them to chase their dreams without hesitation."


Song Yoo-jin, Arirang News.

#Disabled_Persons_Day #Disability #Hearing_impairment #Kpop #BIGOCEAN #장애인의날 #장애 #청각_장애 #빅오션 #Arirang_News #아리랑뉴스

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2024-04-19, 21:00 (KST)