Getting to Know "Big Ocean"

K-pop’s first deaf group, Big Ocean, is composed entirely of deaf and hard-of-hearing artists.

•  Members include PJ (a YouTuber who educated viewers about deaf culture), Jiseok (a professional ski racer) and Chanyeon (who worked as an audiologist and wears a hearing device with Bluetooth that streams music to him directly from mobile devices.).

  
  

• Big Ocean incorporates sign language into their performances, including Korean Sign Language, American Sign Language and International Sign.

  
  

• They wear special smartwatches to provide rhythmic cues and they practice with visual metronomes, flashing lights displayed on monitors, to stay in sync.

  
  

• Debuted on April 20, 2024 at the 2024 Disabled Employment Promotion Competition hosted by the Korea Employment Promotion Agency for the Disabled held at the El Tower in Seoul, South Korea.

  
  

• Their debut song was 'Light (Glow)', a remake of 'Light (Hope)' by the first-generation idol group HOT.

  
  

• The group uses artificial intelligence voice conversion technology in their recordings.

• Their global fanbase is known as PADO.

  
  

• In 2016, the Korean Sign Language Act went into effect, recognizing KSL as the official language of the Deaf community.