Hyunjin, a member of BIG OCEAN, South Korea’s pioneering hearing-impaired K-pop group, bravely shared his story of overcoming hearing loss during childhood and pursuing his dream of becoming an idol.
On August 12, the entertainment show “Ask Us Anything Fortune Teller”on KBS Joy featured Hyunjin, a member of BIG OCEAN, South Korea’s first-ever hearing-impaired K-pop group. The show can be accessed through the link https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/003/0012724859.
While on stage, the idol began reminiscing about his hearing loss, which occurred at the age of 3 due to a severe fever.
Hyunjin started using hearing aids at the age of four and used them until he turned nine. Sadly, he lost all of his hearing after he fell and hit his head from a two-meter height while hurrying to the cafeteria.
Ever since, he has been relying on a hearing aid in his right ear and a cochlear implant in his left ear, resulting in a 40% decrease in his normal hearing.
As an adolescent, he had a negative perception of the mechanical sound he heard, as it was artificial. The only thing that brought him joy was the piano, igniting his love for music.
Initially, his goal was to become a cybersecurity engineer. However, after gaining recognition for his YouTube videos educating viewers about individuals with similar experiences, PARASTAR Entertainment discovered him and he was given the opportunity to train as an aspiring idol.
In April 2020, BIG OCEAN was established with hearing-impaired members Chanyeon and Jiseok. Their debut song, a remake of H.O.T’s “Hope,”gained significant attention for incorporating sign language.
During the show, despite their determination, Hyunjin expressed concerns about the group’s future to “fortune teller”Seo Jang Hoon and “child monk”Lee Soo Geun.
“We are the first hearing-impaired group in Korea to be active as Big Ocean. We have three members. Even when we practice among ourselves, there is no easy process, so I am worried if we can continue to be active for a long time, so I came to see you.”
Despite variations in the hearing levels of each member, there was often inconsistency in recognizing the beat, resulting in frequent disagreements. Hyunjin clarified:
“After much thought, the company started using a vibration smartwatch to recognize the beat as vibration and used a beam metronome that emits light to match and keep the beat. After that, we practiced while looking in the mirror and adjusted it through monitoring.”
Ultimately, Seo, the fortune teller, gives Hyunjin words of encouragement and warmly relays the message.
“After playing for 20 to 30 years, even if the opposing defender blocks your vision, the ball almost always goes in even if you’re on the free throw line. It’s because you always have a feel for how you throw it. Why did I mention this?”
He went on to say:
“Big Ocean is the same. At first, the beat wasn’t right, but as you practice, the feel and timing from practicing countless times are automatically inputted into your body.
As you can see from the shape of your lips, if you practice more together, your body will remember the beat when a song comes on and your breathing will match. Then you can go on for a long time.”
Lee, the child monk, added:
“It may be a little more inconvenient than others, but it will not hinder you from pursuing your dreams at all.”
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