Interview: Big Ocean Has Made A Splash With Their Debut! We Chat With Them About All The Deets

It’s been a little over a week since BIG OCEAN made their debut and no matter what fandom you belong in, everyone has been talking about this new boy group. BIG OCEAN is a three-member group that is the world’s first K-POP group with hearing impairments. They chose to debut on April 20th, which marks Korea’s Day of People with Disabilities.

The group is already vastly growing its fanbase following their debut stage on MusicCore and with how active they are on social media, often posting K-POP covers, dance videos, and videos in Korean Sign Language (KSL), not to mention going live almost every day interacting with their fandom, PADO, in real-time.

We at The Honey POP have been so excited about their debut and quickly became fans. We were lucky enough to chat with BIG OCEAN themselves following their debut to get to learn more about them.

Hi Big Ocean! Welcome to The Honey POP! Can you introduce yourselves to our readers?
Hello, everyone! We’re BIG OCEAN, a K-POP idol group that made our debut on April 20th. Our group consists of rapper Chanyeon, main vocalist Hyunjin, and dancer Jiseok. What makes us unique is that all three of us have hearing impairments, but that doesn’t stop us from pursuing our passion for music!

Congratulations on your debut! Your single ‘Glow’ is a remake of the song ‘Hope’ by K-POP legends H.O.T. What was it about this song that you felt was the right fit for your debut?
Thank you! ‘Glow’ is a special song for us because it’s a remake of the iconic track by H.O.T. We felt that the message of hope and positivity in the song resonated with our journey as a group, making it the perfect fit for our debut.

You made your debut performance on MusicCore, which is an amazing place to show K-POP who you are! How did it feel to finally be performing to an audience? Do you have any memorable moments you now cherish?
Performing on MusicCore was an incredible experience for us. It felt surreal to finally showcase our talent to an audience, and we’re grateful for the support we received. One memorable moment was when we saw the audience’s reaction to our performance; Some were trying to give beat signals through their hand waves, knowing our circumstances. Also, their energy and enthusiasm were truly heartwarming.

It’s definitely one of our favorite stages this year! Your fans will be eager to learn more about each of you; can you share one fact you think every Big Ocean fan should know about each member?
Sure! One thing every BIG OCEAN fan should know about each member is that Chanyeon is known for his adorable and youthful personality, Hyunjin gives off a warm and simple vibe like a marine organism, and Jiseok has a neat expression like a robot but is also playful like the character Kuromi.

Noted! You are the first K-POP group with hearing impairments, this is a big moment in K-POP history! What are some goals each of you has now that you have debuted?
Now that we’ve debuted, our goal is to continue growing as artists and inspiring others. Personally, Chanyeon hopes to show visible growth as an artist, Hyunjin aims to bridge the gap between disabled and non-disabled individuals, and Jiseok wants to further develop his vocal skills for future performances.

You have barriers to deal with that most K-POP groups don’t. What are some adaptations you have created to make being an idol accessible to you?
To make being idols accessible for us, we’ve implemented various adaptations such as using smartwatches that vibrate to the beat during dance practices and incorporating sign language into our performances. We also rely on assistive devices developed by our agency, Parastar Entertainment, to synchronize music with vibration and flashing light signals.

This is so interesting to learn about. You recently went to SM Entertainment to meet RIIZE and collaborate with them on some choreography for their single ‘LOVE119.’ How was the experience for you? Did you learn anything from your seniors?
Collaborating with RIIZE at SM Entertainment was an amazing experience! We learned a lot from our seniors and gained valuable insights into choreography and performance techniques. It was inspiring to see their professionalism and dedication to their craft.

@big_ocean.official #라이즈 선배님들과 #love119 챌린지를??? #riize #bigocean #수어챌린지 #국제수화 #RISEandREALIZE #RIIZE_Love119 #빅오션 #S-BOYZ #연습생 #KPOP #idol #아이돌 #signlanguage #케이팝 ♬ 오리지널 사운드 – 빅오션 Big o!cean – 🌊Big Ocean🌊

And the collab video looks amazing! Everyone has people they look to as inspiration. Who would you say are artists you look up to?
We admire artists who have overcome challenges and made significant contributions to the music industry. Some of our inspirations include BTS, EXO, and BoA, who have paved the way for K-POP globally.

We know accessibility is something that needs to be worked on when it comes to the music industry. What are some ways you plan on making BIG OCEAN accessible to others? For example, at your future live shows or fan meetings?
BIG OCEAN is planning on the first fan meeting next month (May) in line with newly releasing our fan goods! Also, we are trying to share our official schedule with our fans as much as possible if we think we will have time to meet our fans in the break time.

We are so excited for BIG OCEAN’s future! What are some things we can expect from you as a group?
As a group, you can expect us to continue pushing boundaries and challenging stereotypes in the music industry. We’ll be working hard to deliver meaningful music and performances that resonate with our fans, while also advocating for greater inclusivity and representation in K-POP. Get ready for more exciting projects and collaborations from BIG OCEAN in the future!

We’re wishing you all the luck in the world. Thank you, BIG OCEAN! We’ve loved chatting with you and hope we get to catch up again soon.

Are you a fan of BIG OCEAN? What do you think of their debut? Let us know by tweeting us at @TheHoneyPOP or visiting us on Facebook and Instagram.

Need more K-POP in your life? Look no further!

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BIG OCEAN:
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE