K-Pop band BTS go viral with UN plea
The seven-member band made an impassioned plea for young people to find their voices
As world leaders descended on New York on Monday for an annual gathering, South Korea’s top boy band, BTS, took advantage of the spotlight to urge young people to join global efforts against discrimination and poverty.
The seven-member band, who this year became the first KPop group to top the Billboard 200 album chart, made an impassioned plea at the United Nations for young people to find their voices to help shape the future.
BTS leader Kim Namjoon, aka RM, spoke for the group to help launch a Unicef campaign called “Generation Unlimited”, outlining the issues that they, their fans and young people around the world face today and the need to step up.
“I want to hear your voice, I want to hear your conviction. No matter where you’re from, skin colour, gender identity, just speak yourself. Find your name [and] find your voice,” said Namjoon, 24, in a speech that went viral on social media.
YouTube star Lilly Singh, a Unicef Goodwill Ambassador, also appeared at the #Youth2030 event alongside BTS, watched by UN. “Young people make up 25 per cent of the population but 100 per cent of the future,” Singh told the 73rd session of the UN.