BTS Speaks at UN General Assembly on vaccination and climate change

Melany Cervantes, Senior, Staff Writer

BTS, a Korean boy group consisting of seven people from oldest to youngest, Kim Seokjin, Min Yoongi, Jung Hoseok, Kim Namjoon, Park Jimin, Kim Taehyung, and Jeon Jungkook.  They’ve made many accomplishments throughout their music career, but there are some things you can say only they have done.  

On September 20, 2021, BTS added another accomplishment to their long list of achievements. They have gone to the 76th United Nations General Assembly to make a speech on current events as special envoys. When they were awarded this honor, leader Kim Namjoon said, “It is a huge honor, both as an individual and a citizen, to be able to hold the title of special presidential envoy for future generations and culture.” BTS focused on speaking about climate change, poverty, inequality, and how the pandemic has impacted the lives of many people.  

The main reason for them being there is so they could give a voice to the youth, encouraging them to keep on going and strive for better things. Some words by Namjoon, “We have people concerned for the world and searching for answers. There are still many pages left in the story about us and I feel like we shouldn’t talk like the ending has already been written.” It’s been evident in their music that they want their listeners to accept themselves and try not to stress over the difficulty of life. Instead, to look forward and live the present to the fullest. Especially now during the difficulty of the pandemic and recent catastrophic events globally.  

Some words by Yoongi helps us see his view on this topic. “It was a time for us to mourn, for the things that this pandemic took away from us, a time to discover how precious each and every moment we had taken for granted was.” Through the hardships, many built closer relationships with their families, partners, and friends. Many people lost loved ones during the pandemic which left us in constant fear of what the virus would bring to them. And because of this fear, BTS made it evident to promote the vaccine to prevent any other deaths due to the virus and emphasize the fact that it’s safe to get the shot. Besides building relationships, others tried making the world a better place by improving the environment around them and having a balanced life.  

Hoseok brings up global sustainability in the future and that, “Everyone agrees that climate change is an important problem but talking about the best solution might be, that’s not easy. It’s a topic that is tough to make conclusions about.” This helps us to still consider the issues of climate change but not ponder on the idea of it for too long. Though, this issue is one that needs to be solved in the near future as its one that may cause the downfall of Earth and the population.  

They made an impact in not only the music industry but as well as politics relating to youths. With their popularity, their words make an impact on the topics so that others consider it a serious issue. Many at the UN are older politicians that didn’t have many expectations on what they were going to say but by the end, they were all tuned in and earned respect for them. One of them is the South Korean president, Moon Jae-in. And as if an ordinary day, they performed at the Assembly hall their hit pop song “Permissions to Dance.”