BTS DELIVERS SPEECH AND PERFORMANCE AT THE 76TH UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
WATCH THE PERFORMANCE HERE
SEOUL – September 20, 2021 – Appointed “Special Presidential Envoy for Future Generations and Culture,” BTS delivered the thoughts and stories of the youth through their speech as well as a performance of “Permission to Dance” at the 76th United Nations General Assembly.
BTS shared their remarks during the SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) Moment as the representatives of the youth today. This is the third time the band gave a speech at the UN following two occasions in 2018 and 2020.
Preparing for their speech, BTS asked the youth across the globe through their social channels “What were the past 2 years like for you, and what’s your world like today?” They received countless stories from all over the world and presented some of them today, acting as messengers to make the voice the future generation heard.
Introduced by President of Republic of Korea Moon Jae-in, the septet came up on stage to present the stories of youth trying to live healthier lives or their thoughts on climate change.
BTS further addressed the youth who are courageously challenging themselves: “We think that instead of the ‘lost generation,’ a more appropriate name would be the ‘welcome generation.’ Because instead of fearing change, this generation says, ‘Welcome!’ and keeps forging ahead.” They also mentioned the importance of getting vaccinated and closed the speech on a hopeful note: “We think the day we can meet again face to face is not far away.” / “We believe that every choice we make is the beginning of change. We hope that in this nascent new world we can all say to each other, ‘Welcome!’”
The speech was followed by the musical performance of “Permission to Dance” that first saw the band singing in the General Assembly Hall, and then moving to the lobby. BTS came out individually through seven doors to the plaza where they continued to show off their dance moves dripping in bright energy. The epic performance capped off with the band doing the “International Sign” gestures for “Joy,” “Dance,” and “Peace” alongside dancers on the North Lawn.
About BTS
BTS, an acronym of Bangtan Sonyeondan or “Beyond the Scene,” is a GRAMMY-nominated South Korean group that has been capturing the hearts of millions of fans globally since its debut in June 2013. The members of BTS are RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook. Gaining recognition for their authentic and self-produced music, top-notch performances, and the way they interact with their fans, BTS has established themselves as 21st century pop icons breaking countless world records. While imparting a positive influence through activities such as the LOVE MYSELF campaign and the UN ‘Speak Yourself’ speech, the band has mobilized millions of fans across the world (named ARMY), collected five No.1 Billboard Hot 100 singles in less than a year, performed multiple sold-out stadium shows across the world. They were also named TIME’s Entertainer of the Year 2020. BTS was nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 63rd GRAMMY Awards and has been recognized with numerous prestigious awards like the Billboard Music Awards, American Music Awards and MTV Video Music Awards.
