Hyunjin, a member of BIG OCEAN, South Korea's first hearing-impaired K-pop group, shared his inspiring journey from losing his hearing at a young age to pursuing his dream of becoming an idol.  

On August 12, the KBS Joy entertainment show, "Ask Us Anything Fortune Teller" featured Hyunjin, a member of South Korea's first-ever hearing-impaired K-pop group, BIG OCEAN.

During the show, the idol started recalling how his ability to hear declined when he suffered a high fever at the age of 3. 

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Hyunjin began wearing hearing aids when he was four years old, continuing until he was nine. Unfortunately, he completely lost his hearing after falling and hitting his head from a height of two meters while rushing to the cafeteria. 

Since then, he has been living with only 60% of his normal hearing with a hearing aid in his right ear, and a cochlear implant in his left ear. 

As a teenager, he felt negatively about the machine-like sound he was hearing, because he had to hear it artificially. The only thing that sounds positive to him is the piano, waking his passion for music. 

He initially aimed to become a cybersecurity engineer, but after gaining recognition as a YouTuber who educated viewers about people with similar experiences, PARASTAR Entertainment discovered him, and he began training as an idol aspirant.

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ALSO READ: Who Is Big O!cean? Meet the First-Ever Korean Deaf Boy Group Aiming to Create S-Pop

In April 2020, BIG OCEAN was formed with Chanyeon and Jiseok, who were also both hearing-impaired members. They debuted with a remake of H.O.T's "Hope," and at the time, they garnered high interest for using sign language. 

Despite their determination, Hyunjin expressed concerns about the group's future during the show. He shared with "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."

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Due to differences in each member's hearing levels, the timing for recognizing the beat was often inconsistent, leading to frequent disagreements. Hyunjin explained :

"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."

In the end, the fortune teller Seo encourages Hyunjin, and warmy delivers 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 continued:

"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."

Child monk Lee added:

"It may be a little more inconvenient than others, but it will not hinder you from pursuing your dreams at all."

READ MORE: 9 Times K-pop Groups Added Sign Language in Their Dance Choreography for the Deaf Community

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Written by Eunice Dela Cruz