The long-awaited appearance of BTS at the UN headquarters came to fruition. For the third time, the Korean pop group was invited to collaborate with the UN on behalf of the youth. In the General Assembly hall, a space known as the ‘city hall of the world’, South Korean President introduced the septet as an “exceptionally prominent group” with great influence on the youth audience.
BTS addressed the audience in the Korean language and broadcast the testimonies collected in the Youth Today campaign.
RM: “It is an honor for us to be here today. We come to share stories of future generations.
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Before coming, we asked young people about their experiences in the last two years and how they are today“.
Jin: “You can feel the good vibes watching this. There were times in the past two years where I also felt sad, but still we had people cheering us on saying, Life goes on!
Let’s try to take advantage of this moment.”
Jimin: “It’s hard to sit still at a stage in our lives that is ideal for taking on challenges. It wasn’t like someone could be blamed … and maybe you were frustrated. Here I am the same as yesterday, but the world suddenly changed; as if we were transported in a flash to a parallel reality.”
Jungkook: “I was very saddened to hear that the graduation ceremonies were canceled. Those are moments in life that you would like to celebrate. Missing it must have been annoying. We too have felt desperate in this last year. It broke our hearts to have to cancel our concert tour.”
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Suga: “Yes. It was a moment of mourning for the things that C-19 took from us.
A time to discover how precious each moment was that we perhaps took for granted.”
Jimin: “People answered our questions by showing us photos of their most precious moments. Many shared the moments they spent in nature. I think that in these two years they appreciated the time and care of their environment.”
J-Hope: “We all agree that climate change is a big problem, but finding a common solution to all is not easy.”
RM: “Yes, it is a complex discussion. But in preparing for today I learned that many young people are interested in environmental issues and chose it as their fields of study. The future is unexplored territory and it is where our generation will spend time, more than anyone else.
They are looking for answers.”
Taehyung: “You don’t just have to see the future as a dark place. There are people concerned about the world, struggling to find solutions. There are still many pages to fill about us and we should not speak as if the ending is already written.”
Jungkook: “Sure. Sometimes it seems that the world has stopped.
It feels like you’ve lost your way. There were moments where we too felt that way.”
RM: “There are those who refer to adolescents and people in their 20s as the ‘lost generation’. It is said that they lost their way when they needed more opportunities … but I think it is extreme to say that they have lost“.
Jimin: “Look at these pictures. There are people who are struggling to maintain their friendships with new online tools, trying new hobbies, learning to live healthier.
They do not look lost, but find new courage to continue“.
Jin: “For this reason, instead of the ‘lost generation’, a more appropriate name could be the ‘welcome generation’ because instead of fearing change, this generation says welcome to it and move on.”
RM: “If we believe in possibilities and hope, even when unexpected things happen, we will not lose our way but we will find a new one.”
Suga: “There will be choices that we make that will not be perfect, but that does not mean that it is irremediable.”
J-Hope: “What is important are the decisions we make when faced with change. Some of you heard that we were coming to the UN and you were wondering if we get vaccinated …
and yes, all seven of us have received the C-19 vaccine.”
RM: “The vaccination will allow us to reconnect with our fans and allows us today to stand in front of you.”
Taehyung: “Like vaccination, there are more efforts under way to adapt to this new reality and I think the day we meet face to face is not that far off.”
RM: “We thought the world stopped, but it keeps turning. I believe that every decision we make is the beginning of change, not the end.
I hope that in this new world we can say to each other, welcome“.
