Following the completion of their recent European tour—featuring headline stops in Cologne, Paris, and London—South Korean pop trio Big Ocean continues to establish a distinct presence in the global music landscape. Operating under Parastar Entertainment, the group consists of members PJ, Chanyeon, and Jiseok. As the world’s first K-pop group comprised entirely of hard-of-hearing musicians, Big Ocean performs seamlessly across Korean Sign Language (KSL), American Sign Language (ASL), and International Sign (IS), integrating digital accessibility technology into both their stagecraft and sound design.
Debuting on South Korea’s Day of Persons with Disabilities in April 2024 under the ethos “See Music, Feel Music,” the trio has rapidly expanded its reach beyond standard industry parameters. Their work spans high-level international diplomacy—including an address and performance at Digital@UNGA 2026 alongside the UNDP and ITU—as well as sustainable fashion collaborations at New York Fashion Week Men’s Day and advocacy as Honorary Ambassadors for the Korea Tourism Organization.
In this interview, Big Ocean reflects on navigating early tour cancellations, taking full internal control of their live operations, designing fan-first accountability initiatives like the ‘Ocean Pass,’ and balancing artistic expression with global accessibility.
When your original European dates were unexpectedly canceled, rather than pausing, you channeled that experience into writing “Make It Up To You.” Looking back on that week in New York, how did translating a moment of disappointment into music alter your emotional connection with your fans and your identity as songwriters?
PJ: When our spring dates were unexpectedly cancelled, we honestly didn’t know what to do with ourselves, so we did the one thing we could do right away: we started writing. The lyrics actually name the cities we were supposed to visit, so in a way, the song became the tour we couldn’t do. I think that changed us as songwriters. Usually, a song starts from a concept or a feeling. This time, we knew exactly who was waiting, and where. That is a very clear kind of motivation. It made the connection feel more two-way because the fans were inside the song, not just listening to it.
This European tour marked the very first time Parastar Entertainment is directly producing, organizing, and funding your tour end-to-end. How does taking complete internal control over tour production change your preparation, mindset, and creative freedom when taking the stage in Cologne, Paris, and London?
CHANYEON: This time, our company ran the tour together with local partners, so everything felt much closer. Our own team was with us from rehearsals to the last show, so when we needed something, we could just turn around and ask. Small things mattered, like knowing which stages European PADO had been waiting for. In spring, they missed The Greatest Battle stages, so those came first. After that came the newer songs. We made those with European PADO in mind, and prior to this, they had only ever heard them online.
Introducing the ‘Ocean Pass’ initiative directly to support fans affected by past canceled ticket purchases was a unique move for an agency and group. What message did you want to send to your community about accountability, trust, and the value you place on your global fanbase?
CHANYEON: Ocean Pass came from the company, and they asked how we felt about it along the way. We were really glad. PADO bought tickets for a tour that did not happen, and we wanted them to feel the wait was worth it. So eligible tickets from the spring became credit, usable for our official store or for the new shows. Our PADO believed in us from across the ocean. The notice to fans said, “With you, all the way.” I think those were the right words.
Participating in Digital@UNGA 2026 alongside the UNDP and ITU during the United Nations General Assembly high-level week put your voice on a prominent global stage. How do you view the intersection between pop culture, digital accessibility technology, and international diplomacy today?
PJ: We were just doing our work: trying new tools, finding ways to make music work for the way we hear. It was a big surprise to be invited to talk about exactly that during UNGA high-level week, and honestly, we were very nervous. I gave our speech in English, Jiseok signed it in ASL, and Chanyeon in KSL. We also presented the Digital Pioneers award and closed the night with a performance. One line from the speech stays with me: “The future was never meant for only some of us.” I think that’s where pop culture and technology meet. Music gets people to listen first. Then technology can make sure everyone can actually join in, and a stage like the UN helps those ideas travel to places we can’t tour.
JISEOK: Usually, we are the ones who adjust. I want technology that adjusts to us a little, too.
Unveiling the ‘Big Ocean x Andy Yu’ collection at Official New York Fashion Week Men’s Day brought your concept into high fashion. How did designing and showcasing visual aesthetics for NYFW expand the way you express the core ethos of ‘See Music, Feel Music’ beyond traditional performance?
JISEOK: Denim. Almost everybody already has some in their closet, which is why it works. The sign-language details are there, but quiet—not too literal.
PJ: And you don’t have to know us to wear it. “See Music, Feel Music” usually lives on a stage; with clothes, it goes out into a normal day. The collection is a homage to classic American denim, and one of the signature fabrics is pineapple leaf fiber, made from agricultural waste. Then, for the people who know us, there are little clues to catch.
Being appointed as Honorary Ambassadors for the Korea Tourism Organization’s inclusive tourism initiatives places significant responsibility on your shoulders. What specific physical, cultural, or sensory barriers in global travel and concert experiences are you most focused on dismantling?
CHANYEON: In Korean, the program is called “open tourism.” I like that word. Open means everyone can come in. KTO made a two-day route in Suwon and Gangneung, and we joined it. In Suwon, every restaurant and café on the route was checked for wheelchair access. On the coast in Gangneung, my wish was amphibious beach wheelchairs. They can roll on the sand and go into the water. I want to see them on many more beaches.
PJ: For deaf travelers, the barrier is often not the stairs; it’s the announcement you can’t hear. Concerts are the same. If the important details are only spoken—like a schedule change or a safety notice—deaf fans miss them. So for us, it’s captions, sign language, information you can check before you leave home, and a place where wheelchair users can actually see the stage. The goal isn’t a separate trip or a separate show for some people. It’s the same one, just easier for everyone.
With your latest single ‘Love Sign,’ you crafted a nu-disco track that embeds the names of different sign languages directly into the chorus. What was the creative process behind balancing a playful pop melody with expressive sign language choreography across KSL, ASL, and IS?
PJ: The fun part of “Love Sign” is that the names of sign languages fit right into the hook, almost like they were waiting to be sung. Some of those signs we already knew because Deaf fans taught them to us at shows and fan meetings around the world. Others we had to study properly just for this song. So in a way, the chorus is a little map of the people we’ve met.
JISEOK: The melody is fun and bright, but the music video and the choreography are really sleek. They come from the story behind the song: a guy with expressive hands, a smooth signer, who uses them to tell someone how he feels.
Since debuting on South Korea’s Day of Persons with Disabilities in April 2024, your tagline has been ‘See Music, Feel Music.’ Having navigated international tours, major recognitions like Billboard’s Rookie of the Month and Forbes 30 Under 30, how has your understanding of what it means to ‘feel music’ evolved from debut to 2026?
PJ: We debuted on April 20, 2024, Korea’s Day of Persons with Disabilities, so from day one, “feel music” sounded a bit like a mission statement. Back then, it mostly meant: we feel music differently, through vibration, light, and each other, and we can still do this. Now it feels bigger than us.
CHANYEON: On tour, deaf and hearing fans stand in the same room and each feel the song their own way. At the UN, we talked about technology that turns sound into light and vibration, so more people can feel music, not only us. So it changed from “this is how we feel music” to “there’s more than one way into music, and everyone’s invited.”
Performing fluently in KSL, ASL, and International Sign across North American and European stages requires distinct linguistic and cultural nuances. How do you adjust your performance energy and signing style when interacting with diverse sign-language communities around the world?
PJ: The first choice is always the language. Korean lyrics, KSL. English lyrics, ASL. And when the crowd comes from many countries, like in Europe, International Sign, so more people can follow. That’s why we did “FLOW” in International Sign for European fans. We also work with sign-language interpreters, so the talking between songs reaches deaf fans too, not only the singing.
JISEOK: Sign language isn’t one universal language, so we try not to act like one version covers everyone. Every country we visit shows us how much we still don’t know.
Elisa Cutullè