Getting to Know "Big Ocean"

Big Ocean, the first K-pop group composed entirely of deaf or hard-of-hearing members, debuted on April 20, 2024.

• 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.

  
  

• The group 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.

  
  

• Their first EP was released in 2024 and called "Follow" on November 12, 2024. It reached #41 on the Korean music sales charts. Their second EP called "Underwater" was released the next year and it also reached #41.

  
  

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

• Their global fanbase is known as PADO.

  
  

• Big Ocean toured Brazil, Europe, and the US in 2025.

  
  

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