Members of boy band Big Ocean, the first K-pop act composed entirely of members who are hard of hearing, pose with participants in a "barrier-free" tour hosted by the Korea Tourism Organization along the walls of Hwaseong Fortress on July 15. SHIN HA-NEE SUWON, Gyeonggi — As a group of tourists made their way along a narrow sidewalk beside the old walls of Suwon Hwaseong Fortress on a drizzly midsummer morning, conversation traveled in several forms: through spoken Korean, lip-reading and the quick movements of Korean Sign Language. Among the roughly 20 deaf, hard-of-hearing and hearing participants following a guide through the historic city were Chanyeon, PJ and Jiseok, the three members of Big Ocean, the first K-pop group consisting entirely of members who are hard of hearing. Participants in a "barrier-free" tour hosted by the Korea Tourism Organization pose for a photo in Suwon, Gyeonggi, with K-pop boy band Big Ocean on July 15. KTO Kim Ji-eun, who has supported Big Ocean since its 2024 debut, had traveled for more than two hours from Gimpo for the chance to spend the day exploring Suwon with her favorite K-pop band. Because she sometimes has difficulty hearing and relies on lip-reading to follow conversations, she became interested in learning Korean Sign Language after becoming a fan of Big Ocean. 레드스핀 “I already knew PJ through his YouTube channel before the group debuted,” Kim said. “Then I got curious and tuned in to watch their debut on ‘Show! Music Core.’ When I saw PJ on stage, that was when I became a fan.” Big Ocean was named an honorary ambassador for accessible tourism by the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) in May. K-pop trio Big Ocean PARASTAR ENTERTAINMENT Following the appointment, the organization arranged a special travel program in which participants could visit destinations alongside the group in "barrier-free" tours that remove many of the obstacles that can complicate travel for people with disabilities. The first segment, hosted in Suwon on July 15, was designed for participants able to communicate in Korean Sign Language. The following day, Big Ocean traveled to Gangneung, Gangwon, for a program geared toward travelers with physical disabilities that included a volunteer "plogging" event, where participants pick up trash as they jog. The Suwon tour began at 10 a.m. near Yeonmudae, a former military training ground during the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910), before participants in raincoats set out along a short trail beside the fortress walls. A sign language interpreter accompanied the group throughout the day, alongside a spoken-language guide. 바다이야기인어 The Big Ocean members walked among the participants, communicating sometimes through speech and at other times through sign language. Though managers and makeup artists frequently pulled the members aside to touch up their makeup or film social media challenges between stops, they spent much of the day with the participants, chatting and laughing with them. Members of boy band Big Ocean, the first K-pop act composed entirely of members who are hard of hearing, pose with participants in a "barrier-free" tour hosted by the Korea Tourism Organization along the walls of Hwaseong Fortress on July 15. SHIN HA-NEE “I really liked that we could chat with the participants while walking together,” PJ told the Korea JoongAng Daily during a brief pause between stops. “I got to hear why they had come and why they had decided to take part in the program.” Some had joined out of curiosity, he said, while others told the group that they rarely had opportunities to travel. “One participant who is hard of hearing told me the program was meaningful because having a sign-language interpreter made it easier for people like them to decide to join,” PJ said. Tourists pose for a photo on a sidewalk near in Hwaseong Haenggung within Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon, Gyeonggi, on July 15. KOREA TOURISM ORGANIZATION 야마토2 릴게임 After lunch, the tour continued with a pottery-painting session at a workshop where Big Ocean’s songs played in the background. The group then visited Hwaseong Haenggung, the temporary palace within Suwon Hwaseong Fortress that was built in the late 18th century as a royal residence for King Jeongjo (r. 1776-1800) during his visits to his father’s tomb. A palace guide specializing in Korean Sign Language accompanied the group, explaining the history and significance of each building through both speech and sign. Hwaseong Haenggung is among 212 attractions nationwide designated as accessible tourism sites under a government program launched in 2015. The sites were selected from roughly 2,700 tourist attractions across the country, according to the KTO,  which is aiming to designate more. Participants in a "barrier-free" tour hosted by the Korea Tourism Organization pose for a photo at Hwaseong Hanggung in Suwon, Gyeonggi, with K-pop boy band Big Ocean on July 15. KTO The designation requires more than merely placing a ramp over every doorstep. Slopes must meet technical standards so that they are not too steep for wheelchair users, and pathways must be sufficiently even and navigable. Information must be made available in formats accessible to visitors with visual or hearing disabilities. 모바일 바다이야기 거북이 Restrooms and parking spaces are assessed not simply on whether they exist, but on whether they meet accessibility requirements. “I have seen a notable increase in government-led accessible-tourism programs in recent years,” said Lee Gyeong-min, a Korean Sign Language interpreter from Jinju, South Gyeongsang, who applied for the tour as a participant with her mother to learn more about accessible travel. “It is a positive shift. It seemed these programs attract a considerable number of applicants, and organizers seem quick to incorporate feedback.” Participants in a "barrier-free" tour hosted by the Korea Tourism Organization decorate pottery at a workshop in Suwon, Gyeonggi, with K-pop boy band Big Ocean on July 15. KTO Moon Ji-young, director of the KTO’s Accessible Tourism Content Team, said the ultimate goal is to give visitors with disabilities genuine choice. “People with disabilities tend to choose from where they can go, rather than where they want to go,” Moon said. She recalled participants in previous KTO programs becoming emotional when, with the help of specialized beach wheelchairs, they were able to cross the sand and touch the sea water for the first time. “Our mission is to expand those choices for everyone,” she said. Moon said the KTO also sees an economic case for making tourism more accessible. Travelers with disabilities often travel with family members, assistants or other companions, increasing the size of each traveling party, she said. 달팽이게임 They may also prioritize destinations and accommodations with higher-quality facilities. More than a decade after the accessible-tourism program was launched, the KTO is now looking beyond domestic travelers. Amid a surge in international tourism to Korea, the organization plans to launch an English-language accessible-tourism website in the second half of the year as part of an effort to reach more foreign travelers with disabilities, Moon said. Big Ocean travels frequently, particularly overseas for concerts, and its fan base includes many people with disabilities — not only those who are deaf or hard of hearing, but also wheelchair users and people with other accessibility needs. “Accessibility infrastructure has improved considerably in Korea, but when we travel with wheelchair users, we still often encounter raised thresholds that make it difficult for them to get around,” PJ said. “I think more wheelchair ramps should be installed so that everyone can navigate these spaces more easily. It would also help to install tactile paving more consistently along walking routes for people who are blind or have limited vision.” BY SHIN HA-NEE [] Boy band Big Ocean performs the lead track “Cold Moon” during a showcase for the release of its third EP, “The Greatest Battle,” at the Showking K-pop Center in western Seoul on March 3. DANIELA GONZALEZ PEREZ ing spaces