BIG OCEAN
The American daily newspaper The New York Times (NYT) has published a detailed article highlighting the activities of BIG OCEAN, the first K-pop idol group made up of deaf and hard-of-hearing members.
On July 20 (local time), the NYT emphasized that BIG OCEAN stands out from other groups not only through singing, dancing, and rapping, but also through the use of sign language, which has contributed to its rapid rise.
BIG OCEAN is a group composed of three deaf members, CHANYEON, PJ, and JISEOK, who debuted on April 20 of last year, on the occasion of “Disability Awareness Day,” with a cover of the hit song “Light” by the group H.O.T.
The group creates its music using deep learning-based artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and adapts its choreography with the help of a vibrating watch-shaped metronome.
The NYT explains that from the release of their debut single, BIG OCEAN garnered attention both in Korea and internationally thanks to a televised performance that incorporated Korean Sign Language. They later released a single that included English lyrics and American Sign Language (ASL).
Last September, they were named “Rookie of the Month” by Billboard, and in May of this year, they were included in Forbes’s “30 Under 30 Asia” list, which recognizes the most influential young people in Asia. The article also notes that the group will begin its first U.S. tour at the end of the month.
The NYT particularly highlights the impact of their fandom, called Pado (meaning “wave” in Korean), whose members have begun learning Korean Sign Language and even creating tutorials to promote it.
The article states that the emergence and rise of BIG OCEAN reflects the significant progress made by South Korea’s deaf community since Korean Sign Language was officially recognized as a national language in 2016.
The NYT writes:
“Institutional changes have helped shift the cultural perspective, leading to greater inclusion of deaf artists like BIG OCEAN. BIG OCEAN has helped raise awareness of Deaf culture both in Korea and globally.”
Finally, the article notes that BIG OCEAN is studying American Sign Language and International Sign in order to offer more accessible performances for multicultural audiences.
On this topic, member JISEOK says: “Seeing fans respond in sign language during a concert is one of the most powerful forms of connection.”
Journalist: Shawn
Translator: Shawn
Source: SNS BIG OCEAN, NYT
