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| Sign language artist Saori Fujimoto performs K-pop giant BTS's ON (2020). Courtesy of Saori Fujimoto |
By Dong Sun-hwa
After falling under the spell of K-pop boy band TVXQ, a Japanese high school girl began to learn about Korea and its language before actively pursuing her "dream job" in the entertainment industry here three years ago ― away from her parents who did not approve of her career choice.
When she arrived in Korea, the whole nation was in a festive mood ahead of the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics and Paralympics. Saori Fujimoto, now 31, did not know her decision to work as a promoter for the event would change her life. Touched by the passion and the spirit of the Para-athletes, she started to learn Korean Sign Language (KSL) after the Games, in the hopes of connecting the hearing impaired to the world.
"Since I already came across Japanese Sign Language at my school in the past, I thought it would be great to learn the Korean version in order to interact with the 390,000 hearing impaired here," Saori said in Korean during a recent interview with The Korea Times. "The sign languages of the two countries share common ground, but are still quite distinct from each other due to cultural differences."
KSL, which was influenced by the Japanese version under the Japanese occupation (1910-45), has over time developed its own features.
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| Saori calls herself a sign language artist rather than an interpreter. Courtesy of Saori Fujimoto |
Saori, also a TV personality, calls herself a sign language artist rather than an interpreter. She not only interprets for people who have completely or partially lost their hearing ability, but also performs K-pop songs in unique ways to help them enjoy music. So far, she has performed for BTS's "ON" (2020) and "Dynamite" (2020), among many others, garnering positive reviews from fans around the world.
Watch Saori's performance: bit.ly/36R452J
"BTS often relays philosophical messages through its songs and brings solace to people worldwide," she said. "That's why I especially wanted to create some content with its music in ways that can be appreciated by everyone, including the hearing impaired. I blend sign language motions with choreography to make my gig look more dynamic, but I try not to put too much emphasis on dance movements, given the fact that the deaf people can misunderstand the meaning of the lyrics ― in fact, even the directions of my face have different connotations.
"Many hearing impaired people do not know Korean and its grammar very well. So I have to strive to express the lyrics as clearly as I can while performing. I had another sign language interpreter who gave me a hand in the beginning, but now I am pulling off everything from A to Z in the creative process."
Saori noted she would unveil more performances on her YouTube channel because content for the hearing impaired is always insufficient.
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| Saori took the Korea Association of the Deaf's official certification test for sign language interpreters in July and passed the written test, becoming the first foreigner to achieve the feat. Courtesy of Saori Fujimoto |
But some people have attacked her online for using her talent for promoting K-pop and KSL instead of her own country's sign language.
"Negative comments on my social media account hurt me sometimes, but I know there are more people who support me. They praise me and thank me for coming up with inventive and enjoyable content," she said.
To prove her capability, Saori took the Korea Association of the Deaf official certification test for sign language interpreters in July and passed the written test, becoming the first foreigner to achieve the feat. The performance test, practically the last step for the certificate, was initially scheduled for October, but was postponed until March due to the protracted COVID-19 pandemic.
"I spent seven to eight hours every day at an education center in Seoul to prepare for the written test," she said. "These days, I am working around the clock to get ready for the performance test."
Saori also shared her thoughts on how Korea is dealing with the issues of the hearing impaired. The country adopted The Korean Sign Language Act in 2016 and recognized KSL as an official language for them that has the same status as Korean.
"Since last September, three major broadcasters here ― KBS, MBC and SBS ― have been providing sign language interpretation services on some of their news programs. On top of that, more people are concerned about the hearing impaired these days thanks to the sign language interpreters who appear in daily news briefings on the pandemic," she said.
"But I think the country still lacks understanding of the culture shared among the people with hearing disabilities in general, and it can do more about it. In fact, most students do not have the opportunity to learn sign language at their schools. The number of education centers and the translators is insufficient nationwide as well, and even disabled people face difficulties learning the sign language, as they are left with not enough resources to help them."
Saori said she would continue to connect the hearing impaired with K-pop ― and perhaps more.
"I believe my role is to promote deaf awareness in Korea and abroad," she said. "In the future, I want to establish a social enterprise to attain this goal and will continue to make content that links sign language and music."
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